Rock and Yard says Kennecott lease was stopped after liaison told company ‘town does not want us to expand’

Jaden Dorenbosch, owner of Rock and Yard, told the Copperton Town Council that a proposed one‑acre lease on a roughly three‑acre parcel near the east side of town was terminated after a Kennecott liaison reported a council member had said the town opposed the expansion.

Dorenbosch said his company contacted Kennecott in mid‑December and followed what he described as the normal steps with Kennecott, UDOT and Salt Lake County. Dorenbosch said Kennecott told him in mid‑February a lease draft was imminent but that in early March he was told “it was dead in the water” because “the town does not want us to expand.”

Mayor Sean, responding at the council meeting, said the council had not taken an official position and that Copperton has no jurisdiction over the parcel because it is unincorporated Salt Lake County property. “This council has no jurisdiction over that piece of property, period,” he said, adding the town’s annexation policy plan and a 2020 general plan guide how the town views future commercial growth.

Town attorney Nathan (last name not specified) explained the landowner would have to petition to annex property; municipalities typically prefer annexation before development but can accept annexation after a use is constructed. He and other officials said UDOT access rules limit where new entry points on the state highway can be created, which could affect the site’s suitability.

Council members told Dorenbosch they were surprised that Kennecott had been told Copperton opposed the lease and said they would follow up. The mayor said he would contact his Kennecott liaison as soon as possible, and council members agreed to have municipal staff meet monthly with Rio Tinto representatives to reduce the risk of similar miscommunications.

Dorenbosch said he and Rock and Yard had canvassed town residents and found support for the business expansion. He told the council he had been told the site proposed initially was on the east side of town, just past the railroad, and that Kennecott had offered to look at other nearby acres if the first site was not available.

Council members clarified that the parcel Dorenbosch discussed lies in unincorporated Salt Lake County, where county land‑use approvals and the property owner (Rio Tinto/Kennecott) control whether a lease or development can go forward. The mayor and staff urged Dorenbosch to return once he can confirm local support; several council members said if the town expressed approval, Kennecott indicated it would re‑open negotiations.

The council did not take formal action on the lease or annexation at the meeting. Instead, members recorded that they had not adopted any official position and committed to better staff‑level coordination with Rio Tinto to avoid future misunderstandings.