By Ken Young
The City Planning Commission and City Council are currently grappling with a proposed land development on the City’s western border which is unlike any other to this date. The proposed development is purported to help with the area’s critical need for affordable housing and also increase tax revenue. At first glance this may seem to be a win-win for all citizens but there are concerns some members of the City Council have. As proposed, the project will contain high density neighborhoods utilizing what has become a recent popular national trend, that being tiny homes, less than 250 square feet in total living space on ultra small lots. In the industry these tiny homes have become known as Munchkin Mansions. Lower cost per dwelling but with more lots per acre would yield the city more tax revenue per acre.
As with any city business there are usually constituents on both sides of the issue. Preliminary thoughts by the City Council seem to be evenly split on whether or not to give the go-ahead for the project. The high density housing, with its inherent problems and advantages is difficult to deal with by itself but the decision is further complicated by an additional component of the project. An additional proposal of the project would be to add a blend of new-age technology with retro nostalgia. This is a design for a drive-in theater specifically for electric scooters. Rather than be a large traditional drive-in for automobiles it would be a much smaller scoot-in. With modern scooters, some of which can carry up to a family of six, the developer, Snideley MacFuddle, has gone on record stating that such an idea will most certainly bring Utah up to speed with more advanced California.
The unexpected delays and opposition has caused a fair amount of stress and anxiety for Mr. Macfuddle. This emotional agitation has prompted him to change the name of the project. Rather than the initial name of Pleasant Acres it is now going on the books as Belly Acres.
Weighing the benefits and liabilities the City Council, with one member on temporary leave, is evenly split on accepting or declining the go ahead. That leaves the Mayor to cast the deciding vote. But before this vote could take place Mr. Macfuddle chose to access a seldom used but nevertheless legal procedure in the City’s bylaws. Written generations ago, the City’s charter show down provided an option to for settling City Council split votes. The petitioner, in this case, Mr. Macfuddle, may choose to accept a simple yes or no vote from the Mayor or at his discretion may challenge the mayor to either a game of HORSE, marbles, (flints only, no steelies) or arm wrestle. So it is. The Show Down by arm wrestle will commence in the city council chamber at high noon, April 1st. Happy April Fools Day!
