Monday’s Uintah County Commission voted to rezone land adjacent to Air Village Hills, laying the groundwork for the construction of a large subdivision to be called Outlaw Country Development.

The rezone will take residential and agricultural land and re-classify it for high-density residential housing while expanding commercial property.

Much of criticism of the project centered on fragmentation of vistas, increased traffic, and devaluation of the nearby Air Village Hills property.

“It’s about first impressions when you come by the overview, and it’s all green gorgeous pastures — that’s a first impression that stays with you forever,” Ted Chambley said, describing the gateway to the Ashley Valley.

Recent commission discussions have been clouded by allegations existing lawsuits and the promise of potential suits to come.

One frustrated Air Village Hills home builder and resident claimed Outlaw Country developer McKay Christensen was already in litigation with the Traverse Mountain homeowner’s association in Lehi.

It’s a charge that Christensen vehemently denies.

The Vernal Express contacted Lehi City’s planning commission chairman Mark Johnson, who said he was unaware of any lawsuit against anyone involved with Traverse Mountain.

“In fact, we just approved a final concept plan for Traverse Mountain, something we’ve been working on this for years. I am not aware of any litigation involving the development,” Johnson said.

In a previous Uintah County commission meeting, Bill Ryan, also from Air Village Hills assured commissioners that litigation would arise if the rezone went through.

The rezone vote carried in a split decision: commissioners Darlene Burns and Mike McKee voted for and Mark Raymond voting against.

Getting the rezone was the first step for the Outlaw Country to build more than 600 housing units including apartments, town homes and single family dwellings on the property.

The second step, also carried in a vote of two to one, approved the concept design for the planned unit development.

The concept design has gone through a number of changes since it’s Nov. 16 introduction at the Uintah County planning and zoning meeting.

Woven throughout Outlaw Country’s residential landscape Christensen said the design may include monuments, trails, parks and pavilions “intended to create a sense of community.”

Traffic flow, the source of considerable contention, “has been redesigned with a 78-foot-wide right-of-way, four lanes with a center turning lane,” Christensen said.

The redesign will accommodate the emergency vehicles according to Jeremy Raymond, Uintah Fire Suppression District manager, who wrote a letter saying the new design meets fire department requirements.

Roads or not, residents fear the new development will blight the area with too many homes and too many people.

Resident Jody Smith said the Air Village subdivision currently has at least 10 houses that are valued anywhere from $700,000 to a million; 25 homes valued from $500,000; and another 30 valued from $300,000 to $500,000.

The packed proximity of apartments and townhouses say residents will diminish the value of these existing homes.

For residents who do not agree with the decision of to rezone the property redress requires an appeal through 8th District Court; whereas, an appeal to a land use decision would go to the county Board of Adjustments.