Motor-Vu Drive-In being sold to developer, but petition calls for saving it
RIVERDALE, Utah (KUTV) — It appears to be the end for a popular drive-in movie theater in Weber County.
Coleman's Motor-Vu Drive-In in Riverdale is being sold to a developer, KUTV 2News has confirmed, which plans to tear down the longtime landmark and replace it with single-family homes.
That has many people upset and calling for the city and county to preserve the theater. As of Friday afternoon, a Change.org petition had gathered around 5,000 signatures.
“It’s just really sad that they’re doing away with it,” said Kellie Creager, standing outside the theater Friday. “This was a really nice memory and something I’m really going to miss.”
She’s been coming to Motor-Vu since she was a child. She just found out the theater isn’t showing any movies “until further notice,” according to its Facebook page. At the same time, Sandy-based RD Development confirmed it’s buying the property to develop housing.
“It will be an absolutely beautiful development that will be a real asset to the city,” said RD Development partner Dave Morton. He did not provide a timeline for construction of the single-family homes, and he noted the sale of the property to his firm had not yet taken place.
Morton also acknowledged the pushback against plans for housing.
“These things are difficult for the public,” Morton said. “We understand that.”
Riverdale officials rezoned the drive-in theater’s land in February to allow for residential development. Steve Brooks, city manager, said he grew up in the area and had visited the theater himself, but “development happens.”
“That’s part of cities growing and developing. Things change,” Brooks told KUTV 2News. “Unfortunately, we lose things like drive-ins and movie theaters and things like that that we all love and hope would last forever. But it’s just not feasible for the owners, and they sell, and they can make a lot more money on it.”
KUTV 2News reached out several times Friday to the owners of Motor-Vu Drive-In but did not hear back.
“It’s kind of heartbreaking to see a big part of the community just disappear,” said Taylor Larsen, who remembers coming to the theater every weekend as a child.
She knows money talks and recognizes that the drive-in owners “probably got a decent amount of money” from the developer offering to purchase the property. She also knows Utah needs more housing.
But she hopes those with the power to decide might choose a different path and keep pictures playing at Motor-Vu a little longer.
“With the community’s backing, I hope that they would be willing to reconsider,” Larsen said.
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