Open House For Proposed Olympia Hills Development Draws Large Crowd
Mar 13, 2019, 9:54 PM | Updated: 10:27 pm
HERRIMAN, Utah — The developer of a proposed community in southwestern Salt Lake County held an open house in Herriman Wednesday evening.
A large crowd showed up to get information and express concerns.
The Salt Lake County Council approved a zoning change for the development of Olympia Hills in 2018, but then-Salt Lake County mayor Ben McAdams vetoed the decision. The developer has reduced the population density of the project in hopes of moving forward with the planning.
“Over the next 50 years, we have a million people moving in this valley. 90% of the land is gone. We only have 10% of the land left,” said Doug Young, manager of the proposed development.
Young envisions a community built around a Utah State University agriculture campus, a children’s hospital, a Jordan School District STEM campus, and tech companies. He said employees of the businesses in the community would live in homes on the development, reducing traffic.
“Cars, we like to say, are optional here,” Young said.
People who live near the proposed site, though, are concerned.
“I’m excited, initially, at the idea of a big tech hub out here, but the realist in me says, ‘Who’s committed to this and who have they talked to?’,” said Justin Swain, who lives nearby.
Young said they had a verbal commitment from a company, but did not name it.
Swain and others at the open house said they were also concerned about infrastructure, specifically roads.
“I still see a real lack of planning, particularly in transportation,” said Emily Johnson.
Young said Utah 111 would be realigned to lead north out of the middle of the development, but Johnson was concerned about access heading east, toward I-15.
“Without any east to west freeway or highway or any major thoroughfare from east to west, it just seems like a really bad decision and really poor planning,” she said.
Young said the project, if approved, would develop over the course of decades and that they are still working on plans.
“We’re just starting to get all this road and infrastructure, get our hands around this. It’s going to take time. This isn’t going to happen tomorrow,” Young said.
There is another open house scheduled for Thursday, March 14 from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM at Golden Fields Elementary School in South Jordan.
