By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
Juab County will develop a master roads program.
"In the next while," said LuWayne Walker, county
commissioner, "we will get our roads in a position for
future growth."
Walker told Mona City Council members that the
commission would like to meet with council members from
Levan, Nephi and Mona and develop the plan.
Arteries and main thoroughfares need to be designed
and put on paper so that those proposing development in the
future will see where the roads are to be placed.
For example, while property is still available, a road
might be built west of old US 91 which would travel through
the valley from one community to another as an artery.
In addition to a road on the west of the communities
of Mona, Nephi to Levan, there should be a secondary road
following the freeway through the area.
"We would like to set roads where the growth area is
planned so we can help protect roadways," said Walker.
Cory Squire, council member, said Mona was working on
developing a master street plan.
Roads for the Ostler Lane, North Canyon and the east
and west foothills needed to be planned for future
growth.
"We, as a commission, cannot do this without input,"
said Walker.
The county needed to make preparations for the growth
that is certain to come.
It is still a bitter pill to swallow for Mona council
members to accept what was done, they think without proper
notification, to the long-range plan that the city submitted
to the county which outlined the potential growth of
Mona.
"Seven or eight years ago, we went in to the county
and told them that we wanted to have our potential growth
area cut off at Burraston Ponds," said Bryce Lynn,
mayor.
He said that desire was not heeded and the potential
growth area was cut back. Then the area was allowed, by the
county, to be developed without consideration for the city
road plans and other desires of the community.
"The county allowed cluster subdivisions," said Lynn,
"in what we wanted for our potential growth area."
Walker said the county commission was there to help
the cities of the county and wanted to work with them on the
road development plan and on other growth issues.
"We are all concerned about the same things," said
Walker.
Walker said that commissioners had learned that Juab
County was the fourth fastest growing county in the
state.
For 2006, the following counties had the highest
population growth rates: Washington, 6.1 percent; Wasatch,
5.3 percent; Utah, 4.2 percent; Juab, 3.8 percent; Iron, 4.9
percent; Uintah, 3.2 percent; Morgan, 4.4 percent; Davis,
3.0 percent; Tooele, 4.3 percent; Rich, 2.9 percent.
Eagle Mountain had just grown helter-skelter and that
was not what was wanted in Juab County, said Walker.
"We talked about Urban Interface at our last fire
board meeting," said Chad Winn, commissioner.
This was another important area where the commission
and community leaders needed to plan in order to prevent
structural damage from wildland fires.
Wildland fires pose a serious threat to human life and
property when homes are built in fire-prone ecosystems.
Several factors influence the intensity of wildfires
and their potential to damage or destroy structures.
Developing a basic understanding of the factors that
determine wildfire movement and intensity will allow
homeowners and builders to assess fire hazard on their
property and determine what they can do to minimize their
risk during a wildfire.
Winn said the county needed to make certain homeowners
have fire plans and road plans and that they are signed off
by appropriate authorities before building permits are
issued.
"Cul de sac width also needs to be addressed," said
Walker.
Growth is coming south from Utah County and needs to
be planned for before it is too late to plan.
Allen Pay, Mona water master, said he thought the
discussion should also be broadened to include culinary
water.
The plan for culinary water systems in the county
needs to be brought into line.
"State law states that anything (community,
subdivision, etc.) over 25 people has to have an operator
and needs to have culinary grade water," said Pay.
Juab County is growing but there is still time to
plan.
The county had an estimated population of 9,113 for
the year 2005. The total population has increased sharply,
since the population in 2000 of 8,283, for a growth of 830
persons or, approximately, 207 four-member families.
This growth denotes an increase of 10 percent.
Juab ranks 15 of 29 counties when analyzing total
population change in Utah and the county ranks 1,172 of
3,141 counties in terms of population growth in the United
States.
Throughout the State of Utah, Juab County places 13 of
29 by percent in growth of new residential structures. The
county places 324 of 3,141, comparing the percentage change
in residential in other US counties according to data from
the U.S. Census Bureau.
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