Group wants towns to take stance on Mormon developer's plan

A group has formed to oppose a Mormon Utah businessman's plans for a massive development in central Vermont.

The Alliance for Vermont Communities wants the residents in the towns where the project is planned to take a stance on the project at town meeting in March.

David Hall's vision is for what he describes as an economically, ecologically and socially sustainable development years in the future based on writings of Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints.

The alliance is petitioning three of the four towns — Royalton, Sharon and Strafford — to take up a nonbinding resolution, asking if the voters oppose the NewVistas development. The town of Tunbridge's select board has agreed to list it at town meeting.