SOUTH OGDEN — Demolition of South Ogden‘s old city hall structure and senior center — focus of debate since late last year — should start in the next month or two.

Per the new plans — approved by the South Ogden City Council in a split 3-2 decision in May — the 2.7-acre plot, acquired by a California developer, will be turned into a townhome development containing a maximum of 49 units. Plans had originally called for a complex of apartments containing 60 to 80 units.

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The site of the South Ogden Senior Community Center and former South Ogden city hall on March 6, 2019. The city of South Ogden has sold the land and the structures are to be razed to make way for town homes.

BEN DORGER, Standard-Examiner

The new townhomes, which will be market-rate rentals, would represent “a pretty significant bump” in addressing the need in the area for new housing, said Matt Dixon, the South Ogden city manager.

Even so, the decision to vacate and sell the old city hall building and the South Ogden Senior Center building next door to make way for new development generated concern and criticism from some. Northern Utah Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, or NUSANE, which performs sexual assault exams, had been housed at the old city hall structure and scrambled to find new digs. It eventually ended up moving to the Weber-Morgan Health Department building in Ogden.

Seniors used to activities at the South Ogden Senior Center also had to adjust. “Our seniors have been attending the Washington Terrace center and I understand that’s gone very well,” Dixon said.

Some neighbors had clamored against turning the land into apartments, the original plan. The site, west of Jefferson Avenue on the north side of 39th Street, is surrounded by single-family homes to the east, west and north, with a city park and the new city hall structure sitting to the south and southwest.

In response to such concerns and talks with city leaders, the developer, Heinrich Properties of Sacramento, California, opted to go with townhomes instead, Dixon said. Still, the change didn’t mollify everyone — foes submitted a petition to the City Council on May 7 signed by 21 area residents opposed to even the modified townhome project.

Reps from Heinrich, which acquired the 2.7-acre plot from the city for $895,000, didn’t respond to a call seeking comment. But the development agreement Heinrich reached with the city spells out the guidelines.

Per the preliminary rendering of the development, 49 two- and three-story townhomes would be contained in 13 separate structures. Two-story homes would abut areas adjacent to single-family homes.

South Ogden’s Recreation Department is being moved from the old city hall building to the new structure as part of the change.