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U.S. NEWS A7
Wednesday 8 March 2017

4 Vermont towns oppose development inspired by Mormon leader

This photo shows a farm in Sharon, Vt. Residents of four small Vermont towns on Tuesday voted before the vote. care what your opinion is.”
overwhelmingly against a massive development by a Utah businessman that is based on the pa- The nonbinding resolution Hall didn’t immediately re-
pers of Mormon founder Joseph Smith, who was born in the area. against it “will tell our lo- turn a phone call or email
cal, state officials and our seeking comment. He has
(AP Photo/Lisa Rathke) neighbors and especially said he expected locals
David Hall how we, the vot- to be opposed but hope
ers of our town, feel about they will grow more accus-
this development,” he said. tomed to the idea as they
Resident Bob Dunkle, who see other such develop-
is also a member of The ments built.
Church of Jesus Christ of Last year, he said the fam-
Latter-day Saints, warned ily foundation was also pur-
that he’s seen sprawling suing NewVistas develop-
developments out West ments in Nevada, China,
and doesn’t want that to India and Bhutan, but he
happen in his town. would not disclose the ex-
“It’s more like a family com- act locations. So far, the
munity than anything else, foundation has bought
but you will lose that iden- about 1,500 acres in central
tity if you don’t do some- Vermont and plans to buy
thing quickly and take this more. “No actions by any
guy seriously,” he told the group will dissuade us from
crowd. “He doesn’t intend continuing to purchasing
to stop. And he hasn’t land as it becomes avail-
asked for anyone’s permis- able and as we have bud-
sion, and he really doesn’t get,” he said in January.q

LISA RATHKE gardens, 48 basketball
Associated Press courts and 48 Olympic-size
TUNBRIDGE, Vt. (AP) — Resi- swimming pools.
dents of four small Vermont He has said the community
towns on Tuesday voted wouldn’t be based on reli-
overwhelmingly against a gion and would be open to
massive development by anyone.
a Utah businessman that Many residents in the rural,
is based on the papers of mountainous region with a
Mormon founder Joseph total population of about
Smith, who was born in the 6,600 think such a large-
area. scale development would
The votes in Tunbridge, change the character of
Royalton, Sharon and Straf- their small communities, tax
ford took place on the an- resources and limit access
nual Town Meeting day. to recreational areas and
David Hall’s family founda- mountain views.
tion NewVistas has been “The NewVistas develop-
buying land near Smith’s ment threatens what many
birthplace in Sharon, Ver- Vermonters hold most
mont, to build — years in dear, which is strong com-
the future — what the foun- munities and local control
dation’s website says is an over governance,” Mi-
economically, ecologically chael Sacca, president of
and socially sustainable the nonprofit Alliance for
development with housing Vermont Communities, told
for 20,000 people, offices, fellow Tunbridge residents