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News from around the State
by
George Ramjoué, AICP, and Val John Halford, AICP
As
you may be aware, the Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC) is comprised of
five counties (Salt Lake, Davis, Weber, Tooele, and Morgan), and 53
municipalities, ranging from the Town of Ophir (pop. circa 25) to Salt Lake
City (pop. circa 170,000).
Today, the region's
total population is estimated at 1.4 million, and expected to exceed 2 million
by the year 2030. In 1969, the
WFRC was designated an Association of Governments (AOG) by the state, and the
Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Salt Lake-Ogden Urbanized
Area by the federal government.
Currently,
the WFRC is working on a variety of relatively important planning projects
that have the potential of significantly affecting the region, which are
described below:
Regional
Open Space Plan: The
Regional Open Space Plan was proposed by the WFRC's
Regional Growth Committee (RGC) in May. The
Committee is an advisory body to the WFRC Board of Directors.
In June the Committee brought the proposal to the Board, which consists
of the Region's
elected officials. They voted
unanimously in favor of Mayor Dolan's
motion to "support
a planning approach or process of open space planning that encompasses the
whole Region, and involves the joint effort of cities and counties ..."
Commissioner
Page, who serves as Chair of the Committee, and also a member of the Quality
Growth Commission, suggested, a few days before the application deadline, that
an application for a planning grant (in Davis County's
name) be submitted to the QGC. The
WFRC prepared and submitted the application to the Governor's
Office of Planning and Budget (GOPB). The
grant that was applied for amounted to $25,000, which is the maximum.
The WFRC will match QGC funds with a $15,000 Environmental Protection
Agency grant. The GOPB would also like to see some local cash contributions
as well, and therefore, an effort will be made to solicit $8,000 in funds and
an equivalent amount in in-kind services from the five counties.
Envision Utah has offered $5,000 toward the project.
Currently, the grand total of cash and in-kind services amounts to
$61,000.
This
planning project is ambitious and the funds are minimal, considering five
counties and 53 incorporated communities would be involved.
The scope of work would need to be sensitive to this and adjusted
according to available resources. A
more broad-brush approach may be used, and the work will likely be divide into
phases. One phase would be
completed during the first year with the currently available resources, and
the subsequent phase the second year, when additional resources have been
acquired. The phases the project would be divided into are: (1)
Inventory/Needs Evaluation, and (2) Plan Goals and Policies
Development/Implementation Strategies/Action Plan.
In
order to keep costs to a minimum, and to get as much work accomplished for the
money, it is anticipated that university students will be involved in the work
associated with the plan study. Utah State University's
Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning Department has already
expressed an interest in working on the project.
It may be possible to involve other Wasatch Front universities as well,
such as Weber State University, and the University of Utah.
Swaner Design, an open space planning specialist, has also expressed an
interest in the project. Proposals
from these institutions and others would be solicited, and possibly the one
with the most merit would be selected.
The
RGC met on August 22 to discuss the Regional Open Space Plan proposal.
Discussed were (1) the definition of open space to be used in the plan
study, (2) the scope of work (3) possible methodologies (4) time line (5)
budget and other funds needed, and (6) characteristics of regionally
significant open space. Also, a
Steering Committee, comprised of some of the local planners and
others, was formed to help develop more details concerning the approach, open
space definition, and other aspects of the plan study. The Steering Committee met for the first time toward the end
of September. At this meeting the
rudiments of a methodology and an open space definition were determined.
The
Regional Open Space Plan will contain a section dealing with implementation
strategies, or specific actions that can be taken for open space preservation.
The traditional "toolbox"
that would be available, such as local planning and zoning, subdivision
ordinances, transfer of development rights, and other mechanisms, as well as
more creative approaches, will be discussed in the Plan, which would serve as
a resource for local governments in their open space preservation efforts.
It
stands to reason that the Plan would contain recommendations for additional
open space preservation funding from local, state, federal and private
sources. This could
include increasing the state's
LaRay McAllister Fund, creating
additional funding mechanisms, and become more aware of other funds that could
be made available.
The
Plan will contain policies and objectives, which would be approved by the WFRC
Board of Directors. Once it is a
part of an approved Regional Plan, as is the case with the Long Range
Transportation Plan, the WFRC will coordinate with the local governments in an
effort to help them become more aware of the Plan's
provisions, so that they can be incorporated into each community's
General Plan, and subsequently implemented.
The
Regional Council feels that open space planning with a regional perspective
has a lot of merit, and is needed. We
strongly support the Regional Growth Committee and staff in the development of
a Regional Open Space Plan.
North
Legacy/Western Transportation Corridor Studies: Last Fall two consulting contracts, each worth about $1
million, were awarded to Horrocks Engineers, and Michael Barker Jr., Inc. to
conduct the Western Transportation Corridor Right-of-Way Study (western Salt
Lake County), and the North Legacy Corridor Right-Of-Way Study (northern half
of western Davis, and western Weber Counties), respectively. The corridors being studied are a part of the 120-mile Legacy
Transportation Corridor concept (circa Nephi to Brigham City), which was first
introduced by Governor Leavitt about four years ago. The funding is being provided by UDOT, and the WFRC is
managing the work for the projects. The
studies were initiated upon the request of several local governments in the
affected areas who felt that identifying and preserving a corridor years
before implementation would allow for better land use planning, reduce the
cost of right-of-way acquisition, and reduce impacts.
The studies will take between about 14 to16 months to complete.
The purpose of the studies are to identify transportation corridor
locations and corresponding footprints. Social
and environmental impacts, engineering criteria, and political input will be
used in making the location decision for the two corridors.
Local governments will be expected to help with the corridor
preservation process through the use of their development codes, i.e. zoning
and subdivision ordinances. Also,
hardship and pre-emptive right-of-way acquisition is expected to occur in
order to limit development in the corridors.
This activity is expected to be managed by
UDOT, since state funds are planned to be used.
Interregional
Transportation Study: This
study is a cooperative effort of the WFRC, MAG, UDOT, UTA, and local
communities to determine transportation alternatives within the corridor from
Brigham City to Payson, connecting the three urbanized areas.
The study will identify and screen possible options and develop
recommendations for future transportation improvements, both highway and
transit, for the corridor. One of
the alternatives being studied is a community rail connection (light rail or a
similar technology) from central Davis County south to Salt Lake City.
Preliminary investigations revealed potential alignments to the east of
I-15 using street right-of-way and on the west side of I-15 using the Denver
and Rio Grand Western Railroad right-of-way.
Initial discussions with city officials from Bountiful, Centerville,
Farmington, and North Salt Lake revealed interest in an alignment into Davis
County where local population could most effectively be served.
The community rail project is not in the current Long Range
Transportation Plan, but as the WFRC updates the Plan over the next twelve
months, Trans Com and the Regional Council will need to consider adding it to
the Plan.
Regional
Long Range Transportation Plan Update: The
process for developing a 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRP) continues
on schedule. The past several
months have been devoted to assessing 2030 traffic and transit needs along the
Wasatch Front and developing strategies to meet those needs.
Additional LRP activities include the following:
Socioeconomic
Projections
- The
development of new socioeconomic projections for the 2030 Long Range
Transportation Plan has been completed. WFRC
staff has generated population and employment projections for approximately
800 traffic zones throughout the Region.
These projections have been reviewed by local city planners and
engineers allowing for input into this important component of the Long Range
Plan. The projections show the
Regional population increasing within the next thirty years from 1,319,000
persons to over 2,176,000.
Traffic
Modeling and Needs Analysis
- Regional traffic
modeling, utilizing projected 2030 population, employment and mode choice
information has been performed and analyzed.
Projected traffic volume and highway capacity ratios have been mapped
allowing WFRC staff to locate areas of concern.
Information has been gathered on the Wasatch Region's
pedestrian safety and vehicle accident rates.
Additional needs analysis steps currently underway include an inventory
of UTA service area and operation frequency, park and ride locations and other
UTA facilities. WFRC staff has
conducted approximately 20 outreach visits to various special interest groups,
including low-income, minority and persons with disabilities organizations and
transportation providers. These
meetings were designed to gather information to help the 2030 Long Range
Transportation Plan meet the needs of special interest groups.
The input provided by these varied groups will be summarized in section
devoted to environmental justice.
Strategy
Development
- A regional land use
inventory and GIS environmental data base is currently under development and
this information will assist planners in their examination of alternative
transportation solutions. At
least three alternative transportation strategies will be examined in the
coming months. These strategies
include (1) a strong emphasis on existing highway facility improvements and
new construction, (2) an extensive, multifaceted transit system, and (3) a
combination of the new highway facilities and transit improvements.
Traffic modeling data, congestion management systems information and
input from local city planners and engineers are being used to create
alternatives designed to meet 2030 travel demand.
These alternative transportation strategies will be examined by the
Long Range Transportation Plan's
stakeholders group in October.
News from Weber County
by
Alan Franke
Ogden
City
*
Ogden is nearing the end of a two year process to update its General
Plan. The City hired an outside consultant to head up the project. The plan
process is known as "Involve Ogden". A draft of the new plan will be
going to the Planning Commission and City Council in the next couple of
months.
*
New public decency and Sexually Oriented Business Ordinances have been
adopted. These make totally nude dancing in public places illegal and further
restricts SOB's from certain locations in the City.
*
The Defense Depot Ogden, a former Federal Military Installation,
now
known as the BDO (Business Depot Ogden), has been closed and sold to the City.
Over the last four years the City has developed a plan for its reuse, changed
all of the zoning on the installation and is implementing the reuse plan. over
600 new jobs have relocated to the facility and 4 million square feet of
existing building space is currently being used. The City has contracted with
the Boyer Corporation to market and develop the facility.
*
The City has recently placed a moratorium on the construction of all
new duplexes dwellings in R‑2 Zoning Districts. The planners in the City
are reviewing all R-2 Zones and the design standards for building
duplexes. the Moratorium must be lifted by the middle of January.
Weber
County
*
The County is receiving applications to do large commercial projects in
the upper Ogden Valley. The proposals are for 80 to 100,000 square foot
commercial developments. The proposals include petitions to amend the Counties
General Plan and rezone more property for commercial.
*
As the result of increased pressure to develop more commercial and
multi-family developments in the Upper Ogden Valley (area by
Huntsville). The County recently adopted a Dark Skies Ordinance. The Ordinance
sets restrictions on lighting for Multi-family and commercial
developments. It regulates the type, direction and spill over lighting into
other areas. The developers in the area supported the proposal that came from
the local township planning board.
*
The area of Hooper west of Roy City has voted to incorporate. The
population is 5,000 to 6,000.
Roy
City
*
Roy is rewriting its General Plan. It hopes to have it completed by
the
first of next year. They will then be rewriting their zoning ordinance.
North
Ogden City
*
North Ogden has just completed a development agreement for
development
of 492 acres of land in their hazardous area. The agreement will allow for the
development of up to 960 single-family lots. Each buildable area must
have geologic studies done before the lots are approved for building.
* They are
also rewriting their sing ordinance and dealing with a proposal for single
access developments.
News
from Six County AOG
By Emery Polelonema & Russell
Martin
As winter approaches south-central
Utah is working on several projects to prepare them for the 21st
Century here is a highlight of a few projects in each of the six counties:
Juab County
Growth challenges resulting from "spillover" of the Wasatch Front have required some Juab County to revise many
of their development codes. Nephi
and Mona have recently revised their subdivision ordinances to better handle the
growth they have been experiencing. In
light of their growth Eureka has applied and has begun the process of becoming a
21st Century Community. Also
county residents are going to decide this November whether or not the county
will organize into a countywide fire district in an attempt to consolidate and
provide more efficient services.
Millard County
Kanosh has just reestablished a
planning commission and first on their agenda is redevelopment of their
community general plan which is more than 20 years old.
Leamington has completed six community assessments and has been awarded
the silver award in the 21st Century Communities Program (CCP).
Fillmore has achieved gold status in the 21st CCP and recently
adopted their General Plan and has their work plan approved making them only a
couple of small steps away from receiving designation.
Sanpete County
Sanpete County has also felt the
pressure of growth in the form of a citizen referendum that is up for vote in
November. The citizens of Sanpete
County will go to the voting booth to determine the fate of their recently
adopted (1999) Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances.
Regardless of the outcome the county has determined some revisions are
imminent and will be addressed following the vote in November.
Communities in Sanpete County are busy as well; Fairview and Centerfield
are revising their general plans, Ephraim and Mt. Pleasant are developing
transportation plans, and Fayette is in the process of developing a base map for
use in their community planning.
Sevier County
Salina has completed all the
requirements of the 21st CCP including approval of their work plan
and gold award and also preparing for redevelopment of their General Plan.
Joseph is using the 21st CCP assessments to help them develop
their first general plan. Monroe
also has been developing their general plan for months now and is nearing
completion with inclusion of their affordable housing plan.
Piute County
Piute County adopted a major
revision of their subdivision ordinance and their first zoning ordinance
recently and now are working through the 21st CCP.
Piute County a community of approximately 1600 has really worked hard in
updating and upgrading their capacity to plan for their future and continues to
work toward designation as a 21st Century County.
Wayne County
Hanksville the newest Wayne County incorporated community
is on the brink of adopting it's first general plan as a town and has also
received their silver award in the 21st CCP.
Bicknell is also moving forward in planning for their future.
They are in the process of adopting an ordinance for the creation of a
planning commission and board of adjustment then will move to appoint citizens
and get training along with other county planning officials.
News
from Southwestern Utah
by Ken Sizemore
Beaver County
has
been awarded a $750,000 grant from the Economic Development Administration (EDA),
which will match state Community Impact Board funds to improve the Thermo Road
in western Beaver County. The
Thermo Road is a direct link from Utah State Road 21 to the Union Pacific main
rail line. This route will allow feed haulers to supply the Circle 4 hog
operations more directly, as well as providing other mining operations with an
improved route to rail and surface transportation arterials.
Garfield County
is
bemoaning the loss of Robert Hugie to Moab City.
Robert has been employed by Moab to head up the city planning department.
We will miss his seasoned planning expertise here in southwestern Utah.
See the job ads if you are interested in coming to rural Utah planning!
Iron County
officials
are focusing on the impacts of a regional wastewater collection and treatment
facility recently installed in the Cedar Valley.
Access to the facility has increased pressure to develop unincorporated
areas at higher densities. Reed
Erickson is leading an education effort regarding the costs and benefits of
unincorporated residential development.
Kane County
is
a lead player in an effort to create a multi-jurisdictional "alliance" of
federal, state, tribal, and local government representatives in Utah and Arizona
intended to create "seamless" land management planning processes across
jurisdictional boundaries. The
group is in the midst of formulating a charter which can be signed by all
participating governments.
Washington County is gearing
up to take all of the orange cones and barrels from the I-15 projects up north,
when work begins on reconstructing the Washington City interchange (10),
building a new interchange at milepost 13, constructing a new interchange for
the Southern Corridor south of St. George, reconstructing the Bloomington
interchange, and resurfacing the entire stretch of freeway at the same time! Are morning and evening traffic reports far behind?
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