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Draper has given the developer of a controversial proposed housing project a 90-day extension on his $8 million contract to purchase 110 acres of what is currently unprotected open space in the southeast corner of the city, near the Utah County line.

Council members in a special meeting Thursday voted 4-1 to grant the extra time beyond a March 23 deadline to Jacob Satterfield and his Blue Bison Development. Councilwoman Michelle Weeks cast the lone no vote.

Residents fighting the proposal left the meeting "very disappointed," said Leigh Brennan, a neighbor who has helped lead efforts to preserve the property as open space. "We thought he was either going to show the money or walk away."

"At this meeting there was no public comment availability," Brennan said. "It was quite frustrating."

In addition to the 110 acres under contract, Satterfield wants to build an access road on another 55 acres. Mayor Troy Walker said the land for the road would most likely be declared as surplus by the city and put up for sale.

"They figure if they can stop the access road, they can stop the development," Walker said of opponents. "We're going to define the easement boundaries."

Walker and the council have said that the city's main goal is to sell a small piece of some 2,400 acres of undeveloped land owned by the city, reducing its remaining debt on the $21 million property purchase while as it works to preserve the remaining land as open space.

"What we're doing is sensible development," Walker said. "Our goal is preserve all of it that we can, but some of it we have to sell."

— Editor Dan Harrie contributed to this report