Senate advances redevelopment reform, narrow exemption debated over Geneva Steel

The Utah Senate on Friday amended and approved bills aimed at tightening and clarifying redevelopment authority (RDA) powers while creating a narrowly tailored path for very large abandoned industrial sites.

Senate Bill 245, presented by Senator Bramble, creates an exception under narrow circumstances so that an "inactive or abandoned heavy industrial site" of at least 1,000 acres with hazardous remediation needs could qualify for certain urban renewal treatment; Bramble said the measure was prompted by the Geneva Steel property but argued other large sites could qualify. "This requires that it consists of an abandoned industrial site with at least a thousand acres... and requires remediation because of the presence of hazardous or solid waste as defined in the code," Bramble said.

Senator Jason Thomas objected that the measure read like special-purpose legislation tailored to one property and urged uniformity: "No exceptions should be — no, no exceptions," he said on the floor, urging that all jurisdictions abide by the same blight definition.

Separately, the Senate passed second-substitute SB196, a broader RDA reform package that (1) creates three tracks for redevelopment (community-development opt-in, jobs-creation, urban renewal), (2) reduces and clarifies blight criteria from nine to seven and requires findings of four out of seven, and (3) raises decision thresholds to two-thirds for certain determinations. Supporters said SB196 produces consistent statewide rules and better accountability; backers described the bills as the product of lengthy stakeholder negotiations among cities, counties, public education, and taxpayer groups.

Both measures were advanced and referred to the House for further consideration.