CLINTON, Utah — As some residents try to gather enough signatures to stop new development in Clinton, others say it’s something they think the area needs.

John Price is a farmer and real estate agent in West Weber County. “We mainly produce hay and livestock, we produce a little produce, pumpkins and squash.” He also rented land in Clinton for farming. “All the land we lease out there has a schedule and an expiration date,” Price added.

That’s because a new 341-unit development is planned in that area, consisting primarily of townhomes. Michael Hatch is the developer. “We would like to meet the needs of first-time home buyers, housing is very expensive in Utah,” Hatch explained. “The state has let us know there is a housing crisis and we need to solve it.”

But some Clinton residents are upset that including other planned construction, there will be about 500 townhouses in one place. So they try to collect signatures asking voters on next November’s ballot to decide whether or not they want this rezoning, to potentially allow for a variety of housing and more open space.

“I understand the argument,” Price added. “Anyone who says they don’t want it, I understand why. And I agree to a certain extent. But I also see what’s happening and I also see the need for development. Those who are By providing open spaces, farmers, ranchers cannot maintain them, they cannot afford to keep these open spaces any longer. So development is coming.

“We have three times as much open space as the city needs, which creates a whole bunch of parks,” Hatch said.

They haven’t set prices yet, but plan to keep the townhouses under $500,000, so first-time homebuyers can benefit from public programs. “Townhouses are attached to each other, meaning they share a foundation wall, they share roofing, they share everything that’s cheaper to build on a townhouse. single-family home similar in size to a townhouse probably costs $1,000 more per month,” Hatch added.

Price said that as a real estate agent, he sees a lot of people who want to stay in the Davis County area, so he thinks developments like these give them a chance to do so. “The majority of people who need to buy a home or want to buy a home are the ones who need the most affordable option, and that’s what we need to try to offer them.”