LEHI, Utah — What would you do if you woke up to find a building that could rise as tall as 35 feet was actively being constructed against your fence line? That’s the situation some locals in Lehi and American Fork discovered just a few days ago.
“I’m in Lehi, so my backyard is the border — this fence right here is the border between American Fork and Lehi,” said Dale Stewart.
Stewart reached out to FOX 13 News with concerns about what was happening just over that borderline.
“Last Thursday, we woke up and we started to see beams going up over the property - and they just kept going and going,” Stewart said.
He says they moved in ten years ago with a beautiful backyard view.
“We just love it here,” said Stewart. “We love waking up and looking at Mount Timpanogos”
But all of that may soon be blocked out.
Stewart said they had no idea that an accessory building, which could be more than 11,000 square feet, had been approved there by the American Fork Development Review Committee back in April.
“I believe there was a 45-day appeal period, but no one even knew that it happened,” Stewart said. “We’re all just baffled”
Stewart appeared at American Fork’s City Council meeting Tuesday night to make note of his concerns. City officials told FOX 13 News that Mayor Brad Frost has since directed city staff to review all the submissions this afternoon.
The homeowners behind the building's construction declined to comment.
While he realizes there may be no recourse, Stewart worries for his property value and the impact to his yard, and hopes a compromise is in their future.
“I really implore American Fork City and other cities to look at what is reasonable,” said Stewart. “My wife always says it’s never too late to do the right thing.”
Stewart believes there are issues with the size of the project in relation to the backyard it’s being built in, which may not meet city code requirements in American Fork. City officials said this is among the issues they are looking into amid their review, which may take multiple days.
