As frustrated Lehi officials looked on, north county residents were out in force at UDOT's Mountain View corridor public hearing on Thursday night.

If all goes according to Lehi's plan, UDOT will be forced to hold the meeting again, this time presenting the city's alternative to residents.

About 280 residents turned out to comment on UDOT's controversial preferred plan to connect the proposed corridor with Interstate 15 along 2100 North in Lehi. UDOT also gave information on the so-called Southern Freeway option, and even put out piles of a one-page flier presenting Lehi's alternative at 4800 North, a move that was a bow to pressure from the city, said Lehi Mayor Howard Johnson.

Calling the event a "flawed presentation," Johnson said UDOT was not actively explaining Lehi's 4800 North alternative, which confuses residents. UDOT is now studying Lehi's proposal for 4800 North, but has said a preliminary study shows the plan crowds too much traffic into too small a space at Point of the Mountain and would require tricky engineering in potentially unstable soil.

Johnson said the city hopes a governmental review of Lehi's plan will force UDOT to halt their plans for the freeway and consider Lehi's alternative, which would mean going back and holding public hearings again, this time with UDOT presenting Lehi's plan to the public.

Paul and Nadine Williams, who moved to Lehi in January, said they came to Thursday's meeting to see if their home, property value or view would be impacted by the freeway. Information at the meeting showing that 2100 North would impact fewer homes convinced them it was the best alternative, but they questioned why they had not been presented information about the city's alternative.

Johnson said few people seem to understand that the 2100 North alternative preferred by UDOT would take more than 30 homes, but Lehi's alternative would take only two, and far fewer wetlands than any of UDOT's proposals.

Lehi's shorter route would also save commuters more than 150,000 driving miles a day, and millions on gas ever year, he said, all while removing traffic and pollution from Lehi, which already bears the burden of I-15 splitting the city.

Filling out comment cards, writing on giant sticky notes, or giving dictation to a court stenographer, residents' opinions were all over the board.

A long stretch of hallway at Willow Creek Middle School, where the meeting was held, was used to display dinner plate-sized sticky notes in myriad colors, which residents used to bumper sticker their feelings with markers.

"UDOT's plan harms wetlands and kid's health. Lehi's plan is better," read one note.

"You should pay enough to the people who are going to lose homes," read another.

"I support 2100 North", "No to 2100 North" and "4800 North is good" were also among the comments. One enterprising resident left this: "6:45 p.m.: Marianne, I'm on my way to your house, meet me."

David and Lily Ann Peeler of Saratoga Springs said they came to the meeting because they are fed up with traffic on Lehi's Main Street.

"Everybody is looking out for their own property values," David Peeler said of the controversy over where to route the freeway. "It needs to be what is best for the most people."

The couple said they supported the Southern Freeway because anything else would be too far north to ease traffic going to Provo. They praised UDOT.

"They are trying hard to let us know what is going on," Lily Ann Peeler said.

Glennda Estes of Lehi said she came to voice strong support for Lehi's 4800 North alternative.

"It seems like it would ease traffic going through Lehi and be a more convenient and shorter route for Saratoga Springs and Eagle Mountain to get to the (I-15) freeway," she said. "It would be less expensive to acquire land and to build and I think it would help Lehi maintain home values, air quality, and quiet."

Karen Christiansen of Lehi said she supports UDOT's preferred 2100 North plan.

"It needs to be built yesterday," she said, noting Lehi's attempt to thwart UDOT's preference will only delay action. She said she has a difficult time understanding why the city has been so vehement against UDOT's plan.

Dick and Marilyn Sanford of Saratoga Springs said they had come to the meeting convinced 2100 North was not a good option but had changed their mind at the meeting.

"It's one of the lower-cost things, and I pay taxes, and it's a lower impact on the environment," Dick Sanford said. "Lehi's suggestion, from a layman's point of view, looks like it would be much more expensive to engineer."

Teri Newell of UDOT said she was pleased with the turnout. The public has until Jan. 24 to comment on UDOT's proposal, which, if not halted by Lehi, will then go before the Federal Highway Administration for final approval. Because $130 million has already been set aside for the Utah County portion, a usable road could be built on 2100 North, though not the full width of the freeway, by early in 2012.

For information about the Mountain View Corridor proposal, or to comment, visit udot.utah.gov/mountainview.