Kane Creek developers wield cash, connections

The pending development of a 180 acre parcel for residential and commercial interests along Kane Creek Boulevard has sparked outrage in recent weeks. Community members have raised many questions over impacts….impacts environment, infrastructure, and even Moab’s socio-economic future. But local journalist Jon Kovash has another question. Where’s the money flowing? 

By tracking down public records, Kovash has found that the developers of the Kane Creek project have been making substantial donations to Grand County’s Republican party and establishing clout with Utah legislators. Today on the news, we speak with Kovash about his research. 

NB: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified a local candidate’s political affiliation. The story has since been updated

KZMU NEWS: As far as you can tell from your research, you know, when did this cashflow first start?

KOVASH: It started in the 2022 election, when almost all of the county GOP campaign budget came from two out of town donors, $6000 from Craig Weston, the lead Kane Creek development partner, and $5000 from the Curtis for Congress campaign. Those funds basically covered the entire campaign for now commissioner Mike McCurdy. Weston also gave $500 to Jamison Wiggins, the winning candidate for sheriff. It was a pivotal election, in which incumbent county attorney Christina Sloan was defeated by Stephen Stocks, and Mike McCurdy and Bill Winfield were elected to the county commission in tight races. County Democrats complained that Republican candidates were failing to comply with identifying their donors. Those candidates eventually complied, but the donors remained secret until recently, when Kane Creek opponents unearthed the disclosure documents.

KZMU NEWS: I understand these donations continued the following year – into 2023 – including a big surge of outside money from prominent Utah Republicans?

KOVASH: It’s true, in 2023 it was more of the same. Weston, primarily under different LLC’s that all had his home address, gave another four thousand dollars to the county GOP. In addition, donations poured in from a who’s who of Utah republicans. Thousand dollar donors included governor Spencer Cox, speaker of the house Brad Wilson, Senate president Stuart Adams, Senator David Hinkins, and representative Phil Lyman. According to public records, the Grand County GOP now has a thirty thousand dollar war chest.

KZMU NEWS: So you’ve discovered that some of the legislators who made those donations are the same lawmakers who have targeted our local ordinances in Grand County with punitive legislation.

KOVASH: Yes, Phil Lyman was instrumental in putting a stop to Moab using some of our TRT funding for economic development instead of tourist marketing. David Hinkins has introduced SB172, which could force Grand County to allow gravel mining on Kane Creek, permit or not, because gravel is, quote, a “critical infrastructure material.”  One county official opined that the legislature “went from being mildly annoyed with us to being downright vindictive and vengeful.”

KZMU NEWS: The Kane Creek developers have publicly and repeatedly stated that they want to help with local affordable housing. And they’ve even suggested that they will make “large donations” toward that cause. You know, in your opinion, how credible is that? And are they even qualified to create such workforce housing?

KOVASH: That’s a question that’s certainly being been asked by many. Craig Weston has created numerous public faces. The partnership is oxymoronically named Kane Creek Preservation and Development. They subsequently dubbed themselves the “Utah Workforce Housing Alliance,” which at the moment has 7 web URLs that show only a blank gray screen and demand for a password. There is no evidence that they have experience creating workforce housing, and there is no apparent workforce housing component in their development plans, although they have promised “housing at all price points.” But housing is currently a trendy issue with Governor Cox and the legislature, and the state now has a raft of housing related agencies. Several Utah nonprofits have also materialized to advocate for workforce or affordable housing, some of which also have dysfunctional web sites.

KZMU NEWS: How are the Kane Creek developers wielding money or you know influence at the state level?

KOVASH: The Kane Creek developers are clients of Election Hive, an all-purpose and highly connected Utah lobbying and campaigning machine. Election Hive clients include only Republicans, and very powerful republicans, including Governor Cox, senate president Stuart Adams, house speaker Brad Wilson, senator Dan McCay and representative Ken Ivory. McCay is proposing to grant the Kane Creek developers, under yet another moniker, Utah Workforce Housing Advocates, $2.5 million in state funds, to “educate” the public about housing. In the application, Weston told lawmakers  he wants to advocate for housing “by endorsing specific legislation.”

KZMU NEWS: In what other ways are legislators targeting Moab for more development?

KOVASH: Ken Ivory is pushing HR19, some have dubbed the McMansion Subsidy Act, which could pave the way for resort development on BLM lands adjacent to popular tourist towns like Moab.

Senator Curtis Bramble in particular has sponsored bills that specifically target Moab. One bill rolled back Moab’s efforts to curb ATV impacts. More recently he got a bill passed that targeted only one piece of property in the entire state, the Kane Creek development parcel. The bill did away with county authority over the Kane Creek improvement district. In the past, Bramble has served on the board of ALEC, the Koch brother-funded and controversial American Legislative Exchange Council. 

Many observers of Moab politics have come to conclude that the legislature delights in targeting Moab simply because they love to “trigger the libs.” But there is much evidence to suggest that there is also a broad effort to pave the way, in the name of workforce housing, for more resort development in the most desirable rural locations, and a significant number of Utah legislators are in the development business.

KZMU NEWS: This is a detailed report on trying to untangle a web of money and influence. Thank you so much.

KOVASH: Glad to be here.