'Keep Dimple Dell wild': Sandy residents pack city hall to debate proposed Highland Drive study

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

Sandy residents debated a proposed environmental study for a potential extension of Highland Drive that would go through Dimple Dell Regional Park and Hidden Valley Country Club.
Councilwoman Kris Nicholl supports the study to assess its necessity and alternatives.
Mayor Monica Zoltanski opposes it, citing other traffic solutions, preserving Dimple Dell and using the money for other purposes.

SANDY — A standing-room-only crowd filled Sandy City Hall Tuesday night as residents weighed in on a proposed environmental impact study tied to extending Highland Drive between Sandy and Draper.

City officials estimated roughly 175 people attended the meeting, where the Sandy City Council heard two hours of public comment on whether the city should fund an environmental impact study using unspent money from last year's budget.

Sandy city officials estimated about 175 people attended Tuesday's city council meeting, many to voice their opposition or support of a proposed study examining the extension of Highland Drive. (Photo: Jason Hammer)

The proposed study would examine potential options for the Highland Drive corridor, including what it would take to connect the roadway through an area that includes Dimple Dell Regional Park and Hidden Valley Country Club.

Sandy City Councilwoman Kris Nicholl, who supports conducting the study, told attendees the goal is to gather information before making any decisions.

"I'm not doing this because I think a bridge is necessary over Dimple Dell Park," Nicholl said. "In fact, I want to find out it's not necessary. And that's what the (environmental impact study) can do."

The proposal drew strong opposition from many residents concerned about preserving the natural character of Dimple Dell, a popular destination for hikers, horseback riders and outdoor enthusiasts.

Dimple Dell Regional Park is pictured on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026. (Photo: Jason Hammer, KSL)

Several speakers said extending Highland Drive could lead to increased development and traffic in an area they believe should remain untouched.

"If you open that corridor now, we're going to have everybody in Draper driving through Sandy on this corridor to get to Salt Lake," one resident said. "All it's going to do is bring more and more cars into our area, and we don't need them."

Others who addressed the council said the community must begin planning now for future transportation needs as growth continues along the Wasatch Front.

"I know people here are going to be against me, and that's OK," one resident told the council. "I've personally experienced traffic coming from I-215 on Highland Drive toward 9800 South. A significant amount of that traffic cuts through our neighborhood."

'Keep Dimple Dell wild': Sandy residents pack city hall to debate proposed Highland Drive study

Sandy Mayor Monica Zoltanski told KSL she is staunchly opposed to the study. She said there are other solutions to solve traffic congestion on 1300 East and Wasatch Boulevard.

"We are moving, regionally, in better decision-making so that we can, community by community, create transit options — busing along 1300 East, create less reliance on personal vehicles to start with by where we put our housing close to transit," she said. "Building Highland Drive over Dimple Dell will just create an artificial demand that will serve the residents of Utah County, Highland, Alpine very well, but it will not serve Sandy residents well. I'm committed to fighting that decision. And I would like to keep that $157,000 in play for priority public safety and roads projects in the city."

Supporters of the study argued that an environmental review could identify alternatives and provide city leaders with valuable data before any future action.

"It will also give the city different options that we can look at because, as we are having traffic issues, we can't ignore those, but we need a plan," Nicholl said. "If there are other options, which an (environmental impact study) can give us, we need to see those."

The Sandy Public Works website has a page dedicated to the Highland Drive corridor. One part says if the study determines "a full five-lane roadway is needed, federal funding will be requested to build the corridor from 9400 South to the Sandy/Draper border.

If the study shows that the full corridor is not needed, a linear park with a two-lane road between Sego Lily Drive and 9800 South will be pursued," the website reads. "In this scenario, Wasatch Boulevard will likely need to be widened to five lanes, and 1300 East to seven lanes."

Opponents, however, urged council members to reject the proposal altogether and focus resources elsewhere.

"We don't want the Highland extension," one speaker said. "We want to use that money somewhere else. Keep Dimple Dell wild."

The debate is expected to continue next week. The Sandy City Council has scheduled a public hearing on the issue for Nov. 17.

The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.