As many people in the Davis County communities of Farmington, Kaysville, Layton, Clearfield, Syracuse and Clinton know, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to study a potential transportation corridor in western Davis and Weber counties. This transportation corridor is informally known as "Legacy North" and by it now semi-official name of West Davis Corridor. Its proposed function is to create a northern expansion of the existing Legacy Parkway that currently runs from I-215 and terminates at the Station Park complex in Farmington.
There has been a good deal of discussion surrounding the location of this proposed highway extension (as any major roadway project will) due to the disruption of neighborhoods and the taking of property through eminent domain proceedings. The Farmington City Council voted and passed a resolution favoring a 'preferred alignment,' known as C-1, during their January 4, 2011 meeting. The most recent Farmington News newsletter reported on the resolution and its adoption. This alignment could have significant impact on the property values for homes located in the Oakridge Country Club Estates, Shepard Creek and Rose Cove PUDs, Farmington Crossing South, and Oakridge Farms subdivisions as well as properties on Shepard Lane.
This is particularly important now that the City of Farmington has publicly identified a preferred alignment choice. By identifying their preferred routing, market values are going to be impacted due to the concerns of potential buyers to the impact of the roadway design on these areas. This is even more concerning given the "gap" in current Utah property law which does not require government agencies to compensate homeowners if their property is de-valued by a project. This is especially true when property is tainted by the process known as "corridor preservation" where an area is targeted for a project but construction is many years away. The agencies are only required to pay compensation if a property is actually "taken" (this information was provided during a conversation with the Office of Utah Property Rights Ombudsman).
In Kaysville, an entire subdivision is at risk of being eliminated due to the proposed alignment of the roadway and in West Haven, West Davis Corridor would split the city in two. Although nothing is final (according to UDOT), the determination of a preferred alignment option will likely apply downward pressure to home values in the area impacted by the proposed options, regardless of when construction begins.
Three open house public meetings to review the alternatives will be conducted this week in addition to an online meeting to be held this evening from 4:30 to 8:00. Tonight there will be a meeting at West Point City Hall, on Wednesday at the Legacy Events Center in Farmington, and Thursday at the West Haven Elementary School. All meetings start at 4:30. For more information you can connect to the UDOT West Davis Corridor Website.
I encourage everyone living in close proximity to this proposed highway project attend a meeting to become more informed relative to the potential impact to your property’s value as well as to understand what rights you have (and those you don't) as it relates to this project.
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