A 90,000 Acre Entitlement Strategy
Gaining community and political support for Kennecott Land Company’s 90,000 acre West Bench project is one of the greatest entitlement permitting challenges in America. With more than 65 million square feet of commercial space, 163,000 homes, a new ski resort and an active mining operation, the West Bench project will change the face of the Salt Lake Valley and shape the way developers reach out to communities in the future. GCA’s challenge: to develop the first-phase entitlement strategy and create initial citizen and political acceptance for this massive project.
Working with a national team of specialists, GCA laid out an overall entitlement strategy for Kennecott Land that included a detailed government relations program and a comprehensive community outreach plan. GCA conducted a meta-analysis of existing opinion research and fielded a customized multivariate analysis telephone survey for Kennecott; designed a tiered community outreach plan that focuses on decision-makers, influencers, constituents and the press; developed key messages and an “entitlement dictionary” for future outreach materials; provided communications training for key outreach team members; and is providing on-going consultation on government and community outreach challenges as Kennecott moves forward with the master plan.
The results exceeded all expectations. More than 80 mayors, environmental activists, transit advocates and business leaders who participated in a series of planning charrettes gave an “A-”rating to Kennecott’s outreach process and signed a multi-party MOU endorsing the outreach process, planning principles, and the conceptual master plan. The public announcement of the massive project generated uniformly positive press and resulted in no hostile editorials or letters to the editor. In May of 2006 the stakeholder process was presented with a Quality Growth Award by the Governor, Envision Utah and the Utah Quality Growth Commission. The entitlement project is on schedule, on track, and moving forward towards final approval as planned.
GCA’s projects are successful projects. Check out www.kennecottland.com.
