Experts plead with Utah County leaders to plan strategically for immense growth that is coming
Moderator Lew Cramer speaks during the Utah County Executive Summit on Monday, Oct. 2, 2017 at Sundance Resort in Provo Canyon. Sammy Jo Hester, Daily Herald
Provo mayoral candidate Michelle Kafusi enjoys the meet and greet during the Utah County Executive Summit on Monday, Oct. 2, 2017 at Sundance Resort in Provo Canyon. Sammy Jo Hester, Daily Herald
Spectators share a moment during the Utah County Executive Summit on Monday, Oct. 2, 2017 at Sundance Resort in Provo Canyon. Sammy Jo Hester, Daily Herald
UTA's Mary DeLaMare speaks during the Utah County Executive Summit on Monday, Oct. 2, 2017 at Sundance Resort in Provo Canyon. Sammy Jo Hester, Daily Herald
Members of the transportation panel Mary FeLaMare and Shane Marshall prepare for their remarks during the Utah County Executive Summit on Monday, Oct. 2, 2017 at Sundance Resort in Provo Canyon. Sammy Jo Hester, Daily Herald
Moderator Lew Cramer speaks during the Utah County Executive Summit on Monday, Oct. 2, 2017 at Sundance Resort in Provo Canyon. Sammy Jo Hester, Daily Herald
Members of the transportation panel show off their socks during the Utah County Executive Summit on Monday, Oct. 2, 2017 at Sundance Resort in Provo Canyon. Sammy Jo Hester, Daily Herald
Orem Mayor Richard Brunst listens during the Utah County Executive Summit on Monday, Oct. 2, 2017 at Sundance Resort in Provo Canyon. Sammy Jo Hester, Daily Herald
Moderator Lew Cramer speaks during the Utah County Executive Summit on Monday, Oct. 2, 2017 at Sundance Resort in Provo Canyon. Sammy Jo Hester, Daily Herald
Spectators listen during the Utah County Executive Summit on Monday, Oct. 2, 2017 at Sundance Resort in Provo Canyon. Sammy Jo Hester, Daily Herald
“It’s not your grandmother’s county anymore. It’s not your grandfather’s county anymore.”
With these words, Natalie Gochnour, director of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, set the tone for the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce 2017 Executive Summit Monday at Sundance Mountain Resort.
“Growth will be your constant companion. You are going to change,” Gochnour told the Utah County leaders gathered to discuss Utah County’s biggest issues among business and development. “You have a choice. How do you react to that change? Do you react to it by letting it happen, by just watching it? …. Or do you really think about the type of county, and community and economy you want to be?”
Projections show Utah County will reach 1.6 million people by 2065. Gochnour pointed out that the growing pains Utah County will experience in the coming years will be disruptive and uncomfortable for some. When asked if there was a way to slow the growth coming to the county, Gochnour laughed a bit, because Utah County has buildable land, thriving economic development, a high birth rate and in-migration due to the success of technology companies.
“The best way to slow growth is to make it a place that people don’t want to live, which affects people that are here. So there are not a lot of scenarios where you want to do that,” Gochnour said. “What you want to do is create an environment where you guide the growth in an intelligent way that protects what you hold most dear.”
One major factor in handling Utah County’s growth is transportation. To that end, Gochnour said Utah County can’t rely on the old, traditional ways of dealing with transportation. She applauded the county for its investment in the Bus Rapid Transit project that will run between Utah Valley University and Brigham Young University, but that is only the start.
“I see no scenario where you can add a million people and not invest heavily in transit. It’s just the way you have to invest to get people around, and to have the life quality you want to have,” Gochnour said. “You are going to have to constantly, constantly set aside money for transportation. If you want a vibrant metropolitan area, you have to invest.”
Members of the transportation panel who came a bit later in the day echoed Gochnour’s suggestion. Getting people through the bottleneck of the Point of the Mountain area and across all parts of Utah County is vitally important to its future; the solutions for the area are multi-layered.
Mary DeLaMare-Schaefer, Utah Transit Authority regional general manager in Utah County, explained transit is one of the solutions that helps Utah County residents continue to love the area they reside in. Shane Marshall, deputy director for the Utah Department of Transportation, said east-west connections throughout the county need to be a high priority in the coming years.
Rep. Lowry Snow, R-St. George, and member of the Point of the Mountain Development Commission, said the area bordered by north Utah County, and south Salt Lake County is critical to the success of Utah’s growth and development. According to Snow, the Point of the Mountain area has been the site of almost 58,000 new jobs generated since 2010.
Those jobs bring more people, more vehicles and more need for roads, and essentials like affordable housing. He urged business leaders gathered to “get out in front of those issues” and fund the infrastructure needed to manage the growth.
“If we [do this] we’re going to find that we can make this area not only capable of assimilating all of that growth, but we’ll also find a way to preserve the quality of life,” he said.
Gov. Gary Herbert also spoke at the event, but he was much more somber than normal. Before joking that he is proud to be the “bragger-in-chief” when it comes to Utah’s success, he asked those assembled to remember those affected by Sunday night’s shooting in Las Vegas, and by all the challenges and evil around the world.
“I would hope that all of us would go home and spend a little time on our knees, and say thanks for the protections we’ve received,” he said. “It’s a time for reflection and somberness.”
Editor’s Note: An earlier, incomplete version of this article ran on Tuesday. This is the complete version of the article. We apologize for any inconvenience.