PETITION TO THE NORTH OGDEN PLANNING COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL

In opposition to the ANNEXATION AND RESTATED MASTER DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT (ARMDA) FOR THE ALTURA MASTER PLANNED COMMUNITY

To the Honorable Mayor, Members of the North Ogden City Council and Planning Commission:

We, the undersigned residents of North Ogden City, respectfully submit this petition in strong opposition to the proposed Altura ARMDA.

The ARMDA, as currently proposed, would introduce 1650 new residences and result in an estimated population increase of 5,000 residents—representing a roughly 25% increase in the City’s population. This scale of growth would impose significant and lasting hardship on all existing residents of North Ogden for the following reasons:

1. Severe Traffic Congestion
The project will generate massive additional traffic volumes that existing roadways and intersections cannot adequately accommodate, resulting in chronic congestion and reduced quality of life for current residents.

2. Public Safety Hazards on Residential Streets
Existing residential streets were never designed or engineered to handle the projected traffic volume. The resulting increase in vehicle traffic will create serious public-safety risks for pedestrians, cyclists, children, and drivers alike.

3. Exacerbation of Existing Water Shortages
North Ogden already faces water-supply constraints. Adding thousands of new residents will place further strain on the City’s water resources (both culinary and secondary), potentially reducing availability and reliability for current households.

4. Increased Tax Burden on Existing Residents
The infrastructure, public-safety, and service demands created by the development will require substantial public expenditure. These costs will inevitably fall, in significant part, upon existing taxpayers through higher property taxes or reduced service levels.

5. No Requirements for Coordination of Development and Infrastructure Improvement Timing

The proposal includes no provisions to ensure sufficient infrastructure installation either proceeds or is on pace with new development construction, beyond what is necessary specifically for the boundaries of the development area.

6. Increased Density Zoning Request
The proposal seeks rezoning approval to significantly increase the density of the proposed acreage beyond what has been previously approved in the original development agreement.

7. Unusually Developer-Favorable Proposed Master Development Agreement
The proposed revised master development agreement goes significantly beyond usual municipal practices in many areas. Proposed language adds atypical obligations and is restrictive to North Ogden City.

8. Location Within Avalanche Path
The site lies directly within the Ben Lomond Ridge avalanche path, creating unacceptable risks to future residents and potential liability and emergency-response burdens for the City. 9. Conflict with the Adopted General Plan A Top Priority of General Plan is to:“Protect sensitive lands within the existing and future City boundaries . Sensitive lands include the Altura area and are defined as: wetlands, steep slopes, land slide runway areas, avalanche paths, and others.” (p9) Building 1650 units and commercial buildings in Altura is 180 degrees opposite this priority.

10. Violation of Existing Zoning and Hillside Regulations
The project conflicts with current Planning Commission zoning standards and hillside-development regulations applicable to the North Ogden City Hillside area.

For these reasons, we urge the Planning Commission and the City Council to deny any rezone, Masterplan layout, and Master Development Agreement approval that would allow the Altura Masterplan Development to proceed in its present form. We further request that the Planning Commission and Council uphold the existing General Plan and zoning protections that safeguard the hillside, public safety, infrastructure capacity, and the quality of life of current North Ogden residents.

We respectfully request that this petition be entered into the public record and considered at all relevant public hearings and Council meetings concerning the Altura proposal.