PLEASANT VIEW — The city plans to reconstruct 600 West from Elberta Drive to 2700 North, according to Mayor Doug Clifford, who said the city has applied for and received funding for the reconstruction project.
Part of the plans call for the road to be widened, which will impact some property owners in the targeted area of the construction. There are also plans for a sidewalk along one side of the reconstructed road.
Clifford said the signal light put in by the Utah Department of Transportation at 600 West and 2700 North spurred the need for the reconstruction, because the light has greatly increased traffic by making 600 West a more accessible road.
“It is one of the few intersections that carry traffic from North Ogden and Pleasant View down to 2700 North, which is a major arterial road to get out on the freeway,” said Clifford. “It has been on the master plan for some time to do the construction.”
Clifford said construction is one issue, and acquisition of property for the construction is another issue.
“We don’t have enough property to build the road down there,” Clifford said.
Currently the city is working with the engineer to get the project started, he said, and the city has decided to place sidewalk down one side of the road.
“The road does not have to be entirely straight,” Clifford said. “We can shift the road one way or the other to lessen the impact on property owners.”
Clifford said he spoke with Bill Loveless from UDOT for advice, and it was suggested the city receive more information from a professional consultant as it works through the project. A consultant would know all the requirements and regulations involved in the land acquisition.
Many residents who live along 600 West attended the council meeting concerning the project. Councilman Toby Mileski said he called many of them and asked them to show up.
Mileski asked the city to wait to consider hiring a consultant until they got the engineering report. He suggested that to do otherwise would be putting the cart before the horse.
“The whole process doesn’t favor the property owner, it favors the city 100 percent,” said Mileski, adding that without the report the city should not even be having the discussion about hiring a consultant.
“It won’t be Shady Lane anymore,” said resident Dolores Olsen.
Resident Bob Watson said he was concerned about losing trees and said he had lost some trees in the past when the city covered the canal. He was also concerned about fish ponds on his property and fish in the ponds.
Watson suggested the city make 600 West a one-way road instead, and connect 600 West to another road to form a loop. He said sidewalks are not needed on 600 West.
“We haven’t seen the drawings back from the engineers,” Clifford said. “It has been on the master plan for as long as I’ve known, as long as I’ve been here anyway.”
Clifford said there are issues with students in buses traveling down 600 West, and the traffic warrants the road construction because of the heavy traffic from morning until evening.
Clifford said: “We are just trying to solve a problem. There is probably no good solution to it, but something has to be done long term.”
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