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Developers and residents press West Valley City on Western Field changes, rental licensing and golf‑course access during public comment
Summary
Public commenters urged the council to let staff revisit a 2021 Western Field development agreement to allow lower‑priced homes, described a long‑term family home being treated as a rental requiring a business license, and raised concerns about golf course tee‑time allocations for casual players.
Several residents and business representatives used the council's public‑comment period on Jan. 28 to press the city on local development, licensing and recreational access.
Barry Gittleman, president of Hamlet Homes, said his company is building two subdivisions in West Valley, including a project referred to in the meeting as "Western Field" (41100 South in District 4). He told the council the development agreement was approved by the city in 2021 but that market and mortgage conditions have shifted since then. "Right now, the homes are priced near $1,000,000," Gittleman said, and he asked that staff meet with his firm to consider "minor modifications" — specifically three sentences in a 13‑page agreement — that would allow the company to build homes in the roughly $700,000–$800,000 range.
A Hillsdale property owner described a separate concern with the city's recently enforced requirement that owners of non‑owner‑occupied properties obtain a West Valley City business license and have their properties designated as rentals. The speaker said her family bought the home in 1995 to shelter disabled relatives, that no rent has been charged for decades, and that the new designation has led to intrusive solicitations and an unwelcome characterization of the household as a for‑profit rental. The mayor interrupted the speaker when her three minutes expired and offered the option to continue at the next meeting; no staff remedy was announced in the meeting record.
Another resident asked the council to review golf course pass and tee‑time allocation practices: the commenter said league play (men's, women's and veterans leagues) can reserve tee times two weeks in advance while other patrons have only one‑week access, limiting casual play; the speaker urged staff to explore whether adjustments could open more tee times to the general public when the course reopens next month.
None of the public comments prompted immediate council action during the meeting. The council moved on to the scheduled appointment process after closing the public‑comment period.
