Davis County Commission supports West Davis Corridor selection process

Farmington • Davis County commissioners said at a Tuesday meeting that they support the process the Utah Department of Transportation used to select the preferred route for the new West Davis Corridor freeway, which included gathering public comment at open houses and via email.

Commissioner P. Bret Milburn said the three-member body is not taking sides on which proposed route is better for the corridor but is supporting the way UDOT went about making its route proposal.

The commissioners are finalizing a letter of support to UDOT, which said last month that its preferred route — the northwestern extension of Legacy Parkway — starts at Glover Lane in Farmington, where the new freeway would have an interchange both with Legacy Parkway and Interstate 15. An alternative would have started the freeway farther north at Shepard Lane and avoided routing the new freeway through western Farmington near the Great Salt Lake.

Commission Chair John Petroff Jr. said that UDOT put thousands of hours in choosing a preferred route and did a "tremendous job." The new freeway is "absolutely necessary" for the county to grow, he said.

But Carl Ingwell, founder of Governor, We Cannot Breathe, a clean air group, encouraged the commissioners to instead support improving existing roads and mass transit to handle area transportation needs.

UDOT, which has said it studied 46 early alternatives during the review process, hopes to make a final decision on routing next year

The agency has scheduled three public hearings this week on its West Davis Corridor proposal. Each will have an open house beginning at 4 p.m., with a formal public hearing from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.:

Tuesday » Legacy Events Center, 151 S. 110 West, Farmington. Opponents of the freeway say they will be there to demonstrate against UDOT's plan.

Wednesday » West Point Junior High, 277 W. 550 North, West Point.

Thursday » Freedom Elementary, 4555 W. 5500 South, Hooper.

UDOT is also taking comments via email at westdavis@utah.gov; online at udot.utah.gov/westdavis; and by regular mail to 466 N. 900 West, Kaysville, UT 84037.

pmanson@sltrib.com

Twitter: @PamelaMansonSLC