The West Valley City Planning Commission voted to allow the rezoning of a historic drive-in and swap meet in West Valley City Wednesday.
The Redwood Drive-In Theatre and Swap Meet has been a community hub for over seventy years, with hundreds of vendors selling their wares every weekend.
Recently, EDGEHomes filed a petition to rezone the land from commercial use to housing. Their latest plan called for 300 total units, including 244 townhomes, 40 condos, and 16 single-family units, as well as 214 parking stalls.
The request met immediate backlash from the community, which claimed the new housing would be unaffordable for the local community and come at the cost of hundreds of small Utah vendors’ livelihoods.
The planning commission meeting on Wednesday was packed with community members showing their support for keeping the swap meet open.
After discussion of site plans and opinions by commissioners, the planning commission ultimately voted 4-2 in favor of the rezoning request, which now heads to the West Valley City Council for a final vote.
