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LEHI — Questions about traffic — and who has the final say on if the city or state can say if it can be built — have stalled construction on a new charter school in Lehi focusing on military discipline.
Residents of Lehi City believe that traffic on their street would become a concern if the Utah Military Academy — a charter school that “uses military culture to help prepare cadets for college,”— is built on their street. With an estimated student body of 600, residents are concerned about their single residential road’s ability to handle the strain.
“This neighborhood was not planned or designed to be able to handle 400 cars in the morning and afternoon,” said Natalie Issac, a Lehi resident who lives on the street on which the academy is being built.
With no safe access from Lehi Center Street or Pioneer Crossing, residents believe that their street would be the only access point.
Lehi City planners share the residents concerns, and denied the charter schools application, citing traffic concerns.
“We know we need schools,” said Kim Struthers, the Community Development Director of Lehi City. “It just really boils down to the location and making sure that this school site will function and still be safe.”
But residents say that after the application was denied by the city, the developers applied and received a building permit from the State Board of Education. They then started construction on the site, without providing Lehi City with a site plan for utilities such as water, sewer, and storm drain.
“We feel like the state code is clear,” Struthers said. “That they still need local government approval.”
Matt Throckmorton, the schools executive director, told KSL that he was not available for an interview, but did say that the school was willing to make a good faith adjustment to the traffic plan in order to ensure everyone’s safety.
However, earlier Wednesday afternoon, the spokesman for the State Board of Education said that they had asked the developer to halt construction until they have addressed Lehi City’s concerns.
The school is scheduled to meet with city planners later this week.
Contributing: Freeman Stevenson
