Salt Lake City (ABC 4 News) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints wants to turn a house into a seminary building near the new high school in Draper. But before that can happen, the neighbors will get to vote on the covenants, conditions and restrictions of the neighborhood.
This new Corner Canyon High School is set to open in the Fall of 2013. As you can see in the attached photo, part of the original plan included a seminary building on the Southeast corner of the property. Jennifer Toomer-Cook of the Canyon's School District tells ABC 4 News that the building was separate from the school and was for "religious instruction" for students during their "release time."
It was assumed the LDS church would buy the property, but this past summer, the Summum Organization, a small non-profit religious group in Salt Lake City, said it was interested in bidding on the building. At the time, Brian Barnard, Summum's Legal Council said, "Any religious group that wants an opportunity to buy that land should have the opportunity to do so." After that, the Canyon's School Board decided not to sell the small piece of the school property to anyone.
Five months later - we find ourselves at the door step of a house across the street. The address is 706 East Golden Pheasant Drive. It's basically at the corner of 700 East and 131st South - right across the street from the new high school. In an email, obtained by ABC 4 News, we have learned the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is under contract to purchase (the) lot" for a "seminary to accommodate the students" at the new school. However, current covenants, conditions and restrictions - known as CC&R's of the neighborhood (Pheasant Brook Estates) prevent a seminary building. So, the LDS church is requesting neighbors vote that the lot "be removed from the encumbrance" of the restrictions and the subdivision.
Dave Biddison lives across the street and said, "It doesn't really bother me. You have to have somewhere for the kids to go to seminary." We also asked a handful of neighbors if they supported or opposed the plan. Michelle Young said, "I don't have a problem with it. Its going to be a building, just the like house would be there." And while we didn't find anyone opposed to the plan, we found plenty of people with plenty of questions about how it will look. Young said, "I'm sure they are going to do a two story - I don't know. I'm trying to guess what they are going to do with it or not." And Debbie Clark said, "I just wonder if they are going to tear down the house? Or if they are going to keep it as a house? I don't really know anything."
All those questions will be answered at a community meeting that is scheduled for Wednesday, January 4th about 300 feet away from the proposed seminary building site. It is set to be held in the LDS Church meeting house at 13112 S. 700 E. in Draper from 6:00-7:00 p.m.
