Can we recall Summit County Council members if they vote for Dakota Pacific?

I had a reader email the Park Rag and ask if it was possible to recall Summit County Council members who vote for “giving the Tech Park to Dakota Pacific.” The question refers to an upcoming vote that the County Council will have on allowing a local real-estate developer to build on the land beneath UOP. Currently, people believe the County Council will vote 4-1 in favor of allowing Dakota Pacific to build a medical center, hotel, office space, and 1,100 units of housing on the land.

While I didn’t ask where the reader came up with the idea, I assume it is based on recent events in California.

Unfortunately, Utah is one of 11 states that don’t allow elected representatives to face a recall election to decide if they should keep their position. So, the answer to the reader is “no, that is not an option.”

The real answer is that elections matter and they have consequences. The only thing that can be done is to challenge those who voted against this in the next election. That could be in the primary. That could be in the general election.

For instance, many people who are against Dakota Pacific had a choice in the 2020 election between Malena Stevens and Canice Harte in the Democrat primary for County Council. If you are against Dakota and you voted for Ms. Stevens, you probably chose poorly.

Canice Harte is stridently against this development. With him, on the Council, It would have been 3-2 in favor of the development. One of those people that appears to be in favor is Chris Robinson, who initially recused himself from discussions because he took gifts from Dakota Pacific (that’s laudable that he did that). Since then, he seems back in the fray (not so laudable). It is likely, if it was 2-2 without him, that he would have stayed out of the final vote. Thus, if you voted for Mr. Harte, there would be no Dakota Pacific.

Now, there probably will be.

All of that is the past and includes some conjecture. However, there is the future. If you hate this development, and the County Council enables it, you have to carefully examine your choices. My hope is that over the next four years, everyone voting for this horrible development will face opposition in the Democratic primary. Then I hope that Republicans can muster people to challenge those who make it through.

The Dakota Pacific development is a life-changing development. It’s on the scale of the Treasure Hill development in Park City.