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Commuter rail running south through the Salt Lake Valley is on a collision course with efforts to protect the Jordan River. A huge development, proposed right next to a potential FrontRunner stop, could pave over much of the last large parcel of open space on the river.
At 13500 South in Draper, north of Bangerter Highway, there's something rare on the increasingly urbanized Wasatch Front: a stretch of the Jordan River that's pretty much like it's always been.
"I always see flocks of deer. We always go out here and run with the deer, and I saw a red tail fox a while ago; just lots of wildlife," Bluffdale resident Zavnda Musser said.
But change is coming down the tracks: UTA's FrontRunner. Draper City government recently OK'd a development deal for a project next to the tracks that would entail swapping more than 100 acres of state-owned land for private land nearby.
The big question for UTA is whether to pick a spot in Draper for a future stop for FrontRunner or another spot a little further south in Bluffdale. Whatever UTA decides will have huge implications for future development of the southern part of the Salt Lake Valley.
In May, UTA actually paid $6.6 million for land in Bluffdale for the stop. Despite that, Draper now seems to have the inside track.
"The proximity of the Draper stations to Bangerter is a plus; the availability of transit-oriented development around the station, because that enhances ridership," said Bruce Jones, general counsel for UTA.
Draper City Manager Layne Long said, "We just think this is the best location in the state, period."
The trouble is the Draper site is at the exact same location identified by Envision Utah as a large piece of sensitive land, with a high priority for protection.
More than 2,000 people joined in the Blueprint Jordan River process to identify key spots along the 50-mile waterway to save before it gets paved. "This could be a nature preserve with a wider variety of species than some of the other areas," explained Gabe Epperson, planning director for Envision Utah.
In 2000, lawmakers did designate the state-owned land as open space, but a conservation easement to protect it permanently was never finalized. "From my perspective, it would be a tremendous disappointment to see this property developed," said Wendy Fisher, executive director of Utah Open Lands.
Draper's city council OK'd "unlimited height and unlimited density" for the project, if UTA picks this site for the rail stop. "Obviously, no one is going to build a 200-story building in this area. But they wanted to give, question: But they could? Theoretically they could. Economically, I don't think it would ever work," Long said.
The final decision about the stop will be made by John Inglish, the general manager of the UTA, by the end of the month. If he picks Draper, the deal would still need to the approval of state lawmakers.
E-mail: jdaley@ksl.com
