Murray residents voice concern about new development
Sep 12, 2024 02:53PM ● By Bailey Chism
Some people are objecting to a large development plan in Murray to have more than 600 apartment units built on the old site of the American International School of Utah. (File photo courtesy AISU)
Some Murray residents are objecting to a large development plan in Murray which will see more than 600 apartment units built on the former site of the American International School of Utah, 4998 Galleria Drive.
The school closed in 2020.
The Murray Planning Commission heard from concerned residents at their meeting Aug. 1 about the 26-acre lot.
At the meeting, city staff showed the plan met all the necessary requirements.
But that didn’t stop some people from voicing their concerns about crime and traffic.
“When we put a 600-unit apartment building right across the street, it’s going to get 1,000 times worse,” one woman said at the meeting. “Where Murray might become the first worst city in Utah to live.”
Michael Todd, who owns Desert Star Playhouse, owns land right next to the development and hasn’t been able to use it the way he hoped to.
“We’ve been zoned out of everything we try to do,” Todd said. “So, we basically feel like we own a piece of property we don’t feel like we can do anything with.”
Todd hopes they find a solution where he, the developer, and the city all win, because otherwise, he’s worried about what it means for Murray.
“Now with the plan that is currently being proposed, our property is likely to end up being a vacant piece of ground and an eyesore,” he said.
A letter from an attorney of nearby Hunters Woods Apartments, located at 4924 Murray Blvd., was read at the meeting, which cited their concerns.
One concern was they looked into adding eight more units to their complex but were told approval was unlikely due to the city’s density concerns.
Despite the objections, the master site plan for the development was approved by the planning commission. λ