Wellington Council addresses development

By Sun Advocate

City councilmembers in Wellington may be reviewing its position regarding a possible trailer park within the city. City officials discussed the matter briefly at a April 25 council meeting.
Councilmember Johnny Pappas brought the matter to the council as part of a report on planning and zoning.
He said a developer had purchased an old trailer park and appeared before the planning and zoning board to ask whether he could redevelop the trailer park. When it was originally designed, the park had been designed for temporary use by recreational vehicles.
“Think about what we want to do there,” Pappas told the council. He said the planning and zoning board had not made a decision regarding the proposal because there are still unanswered questions.
Pappas said the board was unsure how to handle a case where a property owner wants to redevelop a proposed project that has already been approved.
Councilmember Glen Wells informed the council that he had spoken with the property owner and encouraged him to develop the facility to serve the needs of Questar Pipeline employees who will be working on a pipeline across the Tavaputs Plateau this year.
According to Wells, work on the pipeline has already started near Myton. The natural gas pipeline will increase the capacity for Questar between Carbon County and the Uintah Basin.
Wells said work will shift from the Uintah Basin to Carbon County in July. The entire pipeline is expected to be completed and in service before the end of the calendar year.
“I don’t have any problem with it. All he’s doing is re-establishing something that’s there,” said Wells, adding that a developed trailer park would be an improvement to the current condition of the parcel in question.
“I don’t think it would be any more unsightly than anything we’ve got up and down main street right now,” said Wells.
“But is that something we’d want longterm?” asked Pappas.
When the planning and zoning board makes a recommendation and the council acts on it, officials must consider not only the immediate impacts of the development, but how the development will affect the area longterm and how it fits into the city’s master plan.
Wells said he would defer that type of decision to the planning and zoning board and consider their recommendation if the matter ever comes before the council. He said he hasn’t heard any objections to the trailer park.
“If those people are living in Wellington, they’re going to be spending money in Wellington,” said Wells.
He said the pipeline construction will employ hundreds of construction workers. Those who don’t live in travel trailers will fill the county’s available hotels, said Wells. He said Wellington ought to try to take advantage of the temporary influx of workers and house and facilitate housing as many as possible in the city.