Davis plans corridor preservation

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SYRACUSE -- Now that money is being collected, it is time to start planning how the corridor preservation funds will be distributed, say Davis County officials.

On July 1, the county began collecting $10 per vehicle registration. The increase was approved by the county commission earlier this year. The money goes directly to the state into a fund earmarked for Davis County road projects.

Davis County Clerk/Auditor Steve Rawlings said the county expects to collect about $2 million a year. The state will match that money, making the total close to $4 million.

It will be up to the Davis County Council of Governments to decide where the money will go after applications are submitted.

Several mayors wanted to know if they had to wait until environmental studies were done on possible corridors before requesting funds.

"It's OK to preserve corridors before the environmental process is completed," said Chuck Chappell, executive director of Wasatch Front Regional Council.

County leaders were also told by WFRC officials not to worry about any "cautions" from the Utah chapter of the Sierra Club.

Chappell said he knew some of the mayors were concerned because of comments made by Marc Heilson in a news article.

Heilson, regional representative of the Sierra Club, said Utah Department of Transportation was taking a big risk buying a corridor in Farmington for the north connector road from the Legacy Parkway before environmental studies were done.

"If you preserve corridors it does not guarantee it will pass the environmental process," Chappell said. "There is nothing wrong with preserving corridors."

COG leaders are reviewing what should be on the applications. They are considering an application similar to the one used by Salt Lake County Council of Governments.

"There is no imminent threat of an application coming yet," said Wilf Sommerkorn, director of Davis County's department of community and economic development.

The funds will be available by the first of the year, and Sommerkorn expects cities to start filing applications within the next few months.

Clearfield Mayor Don Wood asked if the funds could go toward buying property to extend State Road 193 down 200 South.

Sommerkorn said they could.

Kaysville Mayor Neka Roundy asked if a developer could apply for the funds, instead of a city or the county.

Sommerkorn said no.

One of the decisions COG made at its meeting Wednesday was to approve a contract with WFRC to pay the group $10,000 a year to help cities and the county with the applications.

North Salt Lake Mayor Shanna Schaefermeyer said her staff does not have the expertise to fill out the applications, so it is good to have expert advice available.

COG members were also advised of possible projects that could receive funding from the quarter-cent sales tax if approved by voters this fall.

Sommerkorn gave county leaders a list of 22 possible projects.

County leaders had previously suggested coming to an agreement on three or four projects they would promote for the election.

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