Hooper council gives developer conditional direction on Terra Strada rezone; residents sharply divided over Smith’s marketplace and a proposed CRA

Hooper — The Hooper City Council on June 5 told Terra Strada LLC it could pursue a rezone and a development agreement for the property along 5500 South, but the council declined to approve a rezone tonight and said any final approval would require changes to the general plan and a development agreement that addresses financing of a sewage lift station.

The council’s direction reflected recommendations from the planning commission while explicitly ruling out a community reinvestment area (CRA) or other tax-increment financing at this stage. Council members emphasized they were willing to consider a “conceptual” approval — meaning support for moving forward with studies and a development agreement — but not a final rezone or map change at the June 5 meeting.

Why it matters: The Terra Strada proposal would add commercial frontage along SR‑177/5500 South and new residential parcels behind it; developers say both pieces are needed for the project’s infrastructure and economics. The central unresolved issue for council and residents is who would pay for a new sewer lift station the development requires and how much of the city’s tax streams, if any, would be pledged to pay it back.

What…