A transportation project that’s been five years in the making is finally becoming a reality members of the Carbon County Planning and Zoning Commission learned Tuesday.
H.G. Kunzler from Lochner Engineering told the board that the Utah Legislature approved $5 million for work on the road.
While the projects slated for the road were running closer to $20 million, he said a portion of the improvements can be done with the smaller pot of money.
“We have prioritized and are planning on putting turn lanes at 3350 and 3450 South which provides access into the industrial park,” said Kunzler said.
In addition, the engineer told the board that the funds would also be used to provide a climbing lane over Four Mile Hill to Ridge Road.
“The crux of the project is to do what we can do in a space between two roads that is quite limited,” said Kunzler. “It is our recommendation that the two roads be consolidated into one.”
Steve Ogden, from the Utah Department of Transportation, was at the meeting to provide support to Kunzler. He had a further suggestion for the board concerning county road projects.
“UDOT is interested in partnering with the county,” said Ogden. “The next logical step is to work together and split the costs.”
He explained that a review of the overall county transportation plan would be determining areas of future development.
With historical memory firmly in mind, the boardmembers threw out some hard questions to Kunzler and Ogden.
“What happened to the plan to purchase properties to widen SR 10?” Boardmember Mike Milovich asked.
Ogden said that portion of the planning was ” a ways away.”
Milovich then touched on another aspect of the overall Carbon County’s transportation plan.
“Did you totally throw out the truck lane that was supposed to come out to Route 6?” he asked.
Kunzler responded that the Western Corridor project had been evaluated.
In addition to the corridor, Boardmember Lynna Topolovec wanted to know what was happening with the Ridge Road and why the work at 3340 and 3350 trumped those improvements.
Ogden said there was another pot of money set aside for Ridge Road.
Boardmember Earl Gunderson wanted to know if the $5 million was going to be enough to take care of both the turn lanes and climbing lanes and whether the Ridge Road improvements might dovetail the projects.
“The time line is very close,” Ogden said. “But the funds are of a different flavor.”
While Ogden must have felt his seat growing a little warm during the meeting, it likely moved straight to hot with one of the last comments by Milovich.
“What’s been hard for us to swallow is some of those special projects, like Moore Road, that have been given priority over our improvements,” he said.
Ogden and his colleague who was also at the meeting responded that UDOT did not push Moore Road.
“I would have seen it go to 10,” Ogden said.
In the end the board did give its approval for the proposed changes that would close 3450 and make 3350 the main single access road into the industrial area and for the climbing lane.
In other business developers Burke Priest and Justin Jones received preliminary approval for their condominium project at Scofield Reservoir.
The men first appeared before the planning commission Dec. 4 with their initial concept for Scofield Shores.
The men have tweaked and refined their concept per suggestions and recommendations from the board and returned Tuesday with a new design. The original drawings included 16 triplexes, separate garages, three fire pit spots and three common hot tub areas and a playground.
The development given preliminary approval will have 10 four-plexes, all the above amenities and will be gated.
The primary issues the men were tasked with pinning down at Tuesday’s planning and zoning board meeting was drainage and securing a definite agreement with Scofield for water and sewer services.
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