South Jordan residents fighting against construction near the Jordan River

SALT LAKE CITY — A South Jordan neighborhood on the west side of the Jordan River is fighting a planned development.

The developer wants to build 187 townhomes on 18 acres. The plans call for a density of more than 10 homes per acre.

Soren Simonsen is the executive director of the Jordan River Commission. He said several acres are in a floodplain.

“Building too close to the river and impacting floodplains can have some consequences,” Simonsen said. “When you get really wet years, [those consequences] can be really detrimental.”

Simonsen also said building on a floodplain is not ideal for construction.

“It may not affect this development, but this development could affect other areas up and down the river corridor by losing some of that really essential function of a riparian area,” he said.

Residents who live near the river said the area is under protection, and the project is too dense.

One South Jordan resident, Tami Carlson said the development would destroy her view shed and disrupt the abundant wildlife in the protected green space.

“I just hope that the South Jordan City Council will remember that once an ecosystem is destroyed, you can’t get it back,” Carlson said. “The tax revenue is not worth sacrificing such a precious habitat.”

Residents are also concerned with other issues such as access to the site, traffic congestion and obstructed views.

The city council will take it up next Tuesday.

Tammy Kikuchi is a reporter and anchor for KSL NewsRadio.