Sandy drops proposed Highland Drive study after public backlash

SANDY — The city council will not move forward with funding a controversial environmental impact study that would have explored extending Highland Drive between Sandy and Draper, following significant opposition from residents.

The decision came days after a packed Sandy City Council meeting where dozens of residents spoke against using unspent city funds to help pay the study examining possible transportation improvements.

Among the concepts that could have been evaluated was a bridge crossing Dimple Dell Regional Park, an idea that drew strong criticism from many residents.

"We're trying to make sure that this is wild for everybody; we don't want roads in here," one resident told city leaders during Tuesday's meeting.

Others argued the study would have provided objective information about transportation options and should have been allowed to move forward before conclusions were made.

"We will be dealing with facts based on that study and not just emotional opinions," said one resident in favor of the study.

Matt Perry, communications director for the Sandy City Council, said city leadership ultimately decided not to fund the study after considering public feedback.

"We had about 50 comments there live, I believe we're at about 150 emails, as well as many phone calls and in-person communication," Perry said. "The city council by far put the most weight on Sandy city residents. Of course, they have to take the whole picture into account."

Perry said Sandy City Council heard it was possible to move forward with the study without Draper City's participation.

A spokesperson for Draper told KSL "Draper City officials are not in support of the environmental study. Draper City has a great relationship with our neighbors in Sandy and are always open to discussions about working together to solve transportation issues."

Perry said a study process could technically continue without Draper's involvement, but it would have limited value.

While the study will not move forward, Perry said city officials remain focused on addressing traffic congestion and transportation challenges.

"The city council is absolutely concerned with the traffic issues in our city," he said. "The council receives fairly frequent comment from residents about problems either in their neighborhood or on our larger arteries as people move through the city. They don't have, at this point, specific proposals, but they look forward to collaborating with the mayor's administration and city officials."

Mayor Monica Zoltanski, who was openly opposed to funding the study, praised community members for sharing their opinions on Dimple Dell Regional Park.

"With funding in place to update the city's transportation plan, we have an opportunity to evaluate alternatives, improve existing routes, and explore practical solutions through an open public process," she said in a press release. "A Highland Drive bridge is neither the preferred outcome nor an inevitable one."

The potential cost of the study also remained uncertain. Perry said Sandy's share was estimated at about $146,000 in 2020, though inflation would likely have increased that amount.

"We expect if we were to move forward with funding the ... study match portion, it would probably be higher than that number. But we don't know that exact number at this time," Perry said.

Although the proposed resolution is no longer moving forward, the issue is not necessarily settled.

City leaders are expected to continue discussions about how to use the unspent funds through the city's carryover process. Perry said that will be an agenda item on this Tuesday's city council meeting.

He said the city was pleasantly surprised by the large attendance at Tuesday's meeting.

"It was a happy surprise for us," Perry said. "We would love to have that level of community input and participation on a range of topics that are important to Sandy city residents. So we are grateful for everyone who showed up, who spoke, who showed their support, who helped us understand their perspective, whatever their perspective may be."

Sandy residents can also find contact information for their council members here.

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