SLCO wants public input on unincorporated land

HERRIMAN – Salt Lake County officials say there’s a whole lot of land on the county’s west side, and they’re not sure what should be done with it.  So, they’re calling on the public for suggestions.

All the way from west of Salt Lake City to just west of Herriman, there is over 32 thousand acres of unincorporated land.  That’s bigger than a lot of cities.  County officials say they expect a large population there in the future.

“By the year 2065, we will have an additional 600 thousand residents in Salt Lake County,” according to Planning Program Manager Jake Young

Currently, a lot of that land is owned by Kennecott, but Young says that may change, one day.

“There is precedent of land going from private to public,” he adds.

There’s a lot of discussion about building a new housing development near Herriman called Olympia Hills, which Young says would be like Daybreak.  However, there’s also a lot of talk about building a West Bonneville Shoreline Trail.  He believes it could be easier to make this trail on the west side since they’d only be working with one property owner.

“Whereas, on the east side of Salt Lake County, it’s taking decades and it’s extremely difficult because of multiple land owners and jurisdictions,” he adds.

So, what’s needed on the west side?  That’s what the county wants your help with.  There are a lot of options on the table since there’s so much land to work with.  People may wish to add new roads, new housing developments or new business areas.  Young says the area could benefit from more jobs.

“Job numbers are really low in western Salt Lake County which, in turn, increases commute traffic,” he says.

Anyone who wants to take the county’s survey can do so by logging on to oquirrhview.org.