Like many states, Utah has a housing shortage. According to the governor's office, Utah will need to build 840,000 new homes by 2055 to keep up with demand. The recent plights of two developers at the hands of the federal government show just how hard it will be to reach that goal.
About 20 years ago, Lew Swain and Brent Bailey bought an undeveloped parcel of land just outside of Willard, Utah, about an hour north of Salt Lake City. The pair gradually purchased more land around the parcel, eventually amassing 142 continuous acres that they hoped to turn into a 265-home subdivision.
