Layton being 'picky' with downtown renovation plans
By Brandy A. Lee
Deseret Morning News
LAYTON — As Layton's downtown began to shift north with new development, the buildings along its old main streets started to resemble those of a forgotten rural small town.
Deseret Morning News graphic High volumes of traffic from west Layton on south Main Street and Gentile Street, however, have prompted the city to look at rerouting traffic and building an interchange onto I-15. City officials realized the interchange would provide access to the old downtown area, so they assigned a city redevelopment agency to take advantage of the potential for increased retail growth.
In June 2002, Layton created a 15-20 year redevelopment agency plan for revamping buildings, improving walkways and lighting, and creating a place where people can go and relax. The planning area extends from the southernmost end of Main Street to Fort Lane. In the four years since the planning process began, however, few retailers have signed on, in part because of delays over road plans.
"We would like to see a mixed use of office, retail and housing," said Seth Butterfield, Layton economic development administrator. The aim is that when the housing is built, "people can just walk to the stores," he added.
So far, Gold's Gym has moved into space once occupied by an old Albertsons store on the northwest corner of Fort Lane and Gentile Street, and Destination Homes is building a corporate office on south Main Street. But Layton has also turned down some potential retailers whose proposals didn't fit with the city's plan.
"There are a few that came through who had their own personal vision that didn't fit with our vision," said Scott Carter, the city's community and economic development director. "We want to be a little bit picky, so that we get what we want."
Butterfield said the redevelopment agency plan calls for everything within the area to have a uniform look. While current business owners in the area won't be required to renovate their buildings, the city is considering creating incentives for them to do so, he said.
Carter said all design changes in the area will have to be approved through a design committee. The city already plans to put in place many outside design features such as plazas, harmonized lighting and clock towers. City officials also are working with the Utah Transit Authority so that a planned stop for the Front Runner commuter rail line coordinates with the city's redevelopment area design.
"We want it all to blend and look nice," Matson said.
Remaining development may depend on the proposed I-15 interchange that would be built in south Layton. Both the city and the Utah Department of Transportation hope it will help ease traffic on roads like Gentile Street, which is heavily affected by growth in the western part of the city.
An interchange in this area would reroute traffic west to Fort Lane and east to Flint Street. While construction could have started as early as this year, it has been delayed until March 2008, Butterfield said.
A proposed Western Access Road would eventually go from the I-15 interchange to a possible Legacy Highway extension to the west. But some residents were not satisfied with an environmental assessment for the road, done by the city in 2004.
The residents hired a lawyer, Jeffrey Appel, to voice their concerns in a November 2004 letter to the Federal Highway Administration in Salt Lake City. They threatened to sue, and their concerns, as well as the threat of legal action, prompted the federal agency to decide in late 2005 that a full environmental impact study was needed.
The highway administration allowed Layton to do the environmental study, which is costing $2 million, said Gary Crane, Layton city attorney.
"If we'd had to litigate the issue, the cost would have been higher," Crane said.
The study, scheduled to be complete in 2008, is examining the social and economic impacts of the road, as well as the physical geography. The earlier environmental assessment done in 2004 was less detailed
"If the city and UDOT would have provided us with alternatives, then we would not have been concerned," said David Lindmeir, one of the residents who had called for the more comprehensive study. The proposed Western Access Road would come within about 200 yards of his home.
The road would be two lanes with a median, with another two lanes for parking on each side of the road. One of the residents' biggest concerns was traffic on the road as children walk to a nearby elementary school.
While the city awaits the results of the study, Alex Jensen, Layton's city manager, said the city was optimistic about the road changes and redevelopment plans. "There's a lot of exciting things down there," he said.
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