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Commentary: In Draper, the developer is king

We need to put an end to this Draper Kingdom.

Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune While state Rep. Brad Wilson was serving on the panel that recommended moving the prison and then led the group responsible for picking a new location, his company, Destination Homes, was building townhouses slightly more than a mile North from the aging state lockup in Draper. That 29-unit project, Sunflower Crossing, center, never came up during the contentious and often cynical debate about relocating UtahÕs main prison, where critics lobbed allegations that the effort was driven by the profit motive of developers. The Salt Lake Tribune only learned about the connection recently from an upset homeowner who called about a chronically leaky window. An unapologetic WIlson said thereÕs a good reason Sunflower Crossing never became an issue. There was no conflict of interest, he insists, because he sold the last of the homes months before the Prison Relocation Commission he led as co-chairman released any details on potential new prison sites and years before the prison will actually move.