MONTPELIER, Vt. — A group formed to oppose a Mormon businessman’s plans for a massive development in central Vermont wants residents of the towns where the project is planned to take a stance on it at town meetings in March.

The vision of David Hall, of Utah, is for what he describes as an economically, ecologically and socially sustainable development, to be built years in the future, based on writings of the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, who was born in Sharon, Vermont. It would include housing for 20,000 people, offices, gardens, 48 basketball courts and 48 Olympic-size pools.

The nonprofit Alliance for Vermont Communities formed in April and is petitioning three of the four towns – Royalton, Sharon and Strafford – to take up a nonbinding resolution, asking whether voters oppose the NewVistas development. The town of Tunbridge’s select board has agreed to include it at its town meeting.

“We think most people are against this, but we’ll find out,” said Michael Sacca of Tunbridge, president of the alliance, which he said has 12 board members and several hundred members.

The opposition group also has hired a lawyer to look into possible conflicts the proposal may have with a Vermont land-use law, Sacca said.

Hall has said he expected locals to be opposed but hopes that as other such developments are built and become successful, the project will become more appealing. But he said no actions by any group will dissuade Hall’s family foundation from continuing to buy land in the area.