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Oquirrh View Plan

Growth is happening. How we plan for it matters.


Currently, just over 1.2 million people call the Salt Lake Valley home. By 2065, Salt Lake County will add 600,000 more residents, more than half of whom will settle in what are now undeveloped areas west of Bangerter Highway.


Salt Lake County's Office of Regional Development is leading an effort to develop a broad vision and plan for the Valley's west bench for the next 20 to 50 years. Outcomes from this process will include a County General Plan, as required by state law, for unincorporated areas of Salt Lake County. Unincorporated areas are those areas of the county not located within a city or metro township.

Planning Process

The Oquirrh View planning process brings together local governments, other public agencies, community residents, businesses and property owners to outline a consensus strategy that incorporates community values, broad planning principles, development preferences, infrastructure needs and socioeconomic requirements. This process is being coordinated with other visioning and planning efforts taking place in western Salt Lake County. Explore each phase of the planning process below and learn how to get involved.

Planning Partners

We invite you to provide feedback to help guide this planning process moving forward.

Explore opportunities to get involved

Cities

  • Bluffdale
  • Herriman
  • Riverton
  • Salt Lake City
  • South Jordan
  • Taylorsville
  • West Jordan
  • West Valley City

Metro Townships

  • Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District
  • Copperton
  • Kearns
  • Magna

  • Camp Williams/Utah National Guard
  • Dominion Energy
  • Granite School District
  • Jordan School District
  • Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District
  • Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah
  • Magna Water District
  • Rocky Mountain Power
  • South Valley Sewer District
  • South Valley Water Reclamation District
  • Utah Department of Transportation
  • Utah Transit Authority
  • Wasatch Front Regional Council

  • Rio Tinto Kennecott

Existing Conditions Research

From July 2018 - April 2019, Salt Lake County conducted an inventory of existing land use patterns and infrastructure conditions in areas west of Bangerter Highway. Key findings from this research provide a baseline for this planning effort.

View Full Report
Study Area Map

Key Findings

Significant growth is happening along the west bench.  Since 2000, nearly 57% of County population growth has occurred here; 135,546 new residents total, or about 8,000 people a year.  Minority populations are growing throughout the area.  The number of children is growing quickly as well, particularly in southwest communities, creating significant challenges for school districts.

Implications

  • Community leaders, schools and businesses must consider needs of the growing number and percentage of minorities and younger population.
  • New residents may expect their community will remain the same, not recognizing that growth and change are constant.
Explore Demographic Implications Further

Key Findings

With 32,182 developable -- acres west of Bangerter, the study area contains the last significant developable parcels in Salt Lake County – about equal to the size of five Taylorsville cities.  One landowner, Rio Tinto Kennecott, owns 72% of all remaining unincorporated County land, including much of the Oquirrh Mountains.  As a result, west bench foothills have not been developed as they have on the County’s east side.

Implications

  • Developable areas offer significant opportunities to maximize public resources to meet future needs.
  • Now-off-limits mountain areas may provide future recreation opportunities.
Explore Land Use Implications Further

Key Findings

North-south routes are well-served and improving, with major investments to Mountain View Corridor and Bangerter Highway. East-west mobility is limited and constrained.  Transit service is relatively better in northern communities, but lacking overall in coverage and frequency.  Active transportation options for bicycles and pedestrians are limited.  Most local street networks lack connectivity and roads are undersized to meet current and future demand.

Implications

  • Commuters will continue to travel out of their way on north-south routes to avoid east-west congestion.
  • Lack of street connectivity inhibits transit services and required motorists to use main road and highways for local trips, as well as regional commutes.  
  • Transportation improvements can help reduce congestion, but benefits will be short-lived without comprehensive community planning to handle growth in a sustainable manner.
Explore Transportation Implications Further

Key Findings

Demands on infrastructure are increasing and meeting needs is difficult. While additional water is available, water districts will need to annex the land into their service area and make plans.

Implications

  • Extending water and sewer utilities to future residents and businesses will be more expensive and increasingly difficult to provide over time.
  • Water conservation through efficient landscaping and plumbing fixtures will be critical to manage demand and reduce infrastructure costs.
  • Failure to appropriately size utilities could delay or hinder development.
Explore Utilities Implications Further

Key Findings

Housing costs are skyrocketing and outpacing incomes.  Rental vacancy rates are at historic lows, pushing rents to historic highs.  An extreme gap in housing exists for people living at or below the poverty level.  Housing trends are changing, with more townhomes and apartments than seen before.  Communities are wary of growth impacts.

Implications

  • Options beyond single-family housing will be in greater demand.
  • More jobs closer to housing can lower commuting costs, increasing affordability for some.
  • Education and outreach are needed to address community concerns about growth and development issues.
Explore Housing Implication sFurther

Key Findings

Job availability is low throughout the Oquirrh View area; most jobs are in the northern half.  Lack of jobs in the south end reduces economic opportunities and increases transportation time and costs or residents.  Local economic development efforts
often favor recruiting light-industrial businesses with relatively fewer jobs per acre.  Retail and food-service jobs in the area generally offer lower wages.

Implications

  • Most working adults leave the area each day to work, creating significant commutes and impacting traffic, air quality, and quality of life.
  • Income and education disparities will increase without more job opportunities for people of all socioeconomic backgrounds.
Explore Economic Implications Further

Key Findings

Existing parks aren’t able to accommodate future community needs.  The Oquirrh Mountains and foothills offer recreation possibilities, but are largely off-limits to public use.  Support exists to create a west bench Bonneville Shoreline Trail, but easements and rights-of-way are not in place.

Implications

  • Many residents of western Salt Lake County drive significant distances for parks and outdoor activities.
  • County and local governments must invest now in developing parks and recreation opportunities to meet future demand; west bench communities may become less attractive without them.
Explore Parks and Trails Implications Further

Key Findings

Mining activities are expected to continue for the foreseeable future, although mine closure planning and reclamation efforts are ongoing.  Former industrial uses exist throughout the study area.  The Great Salt Lake continues to have lower-than-average water levels, in part because of growing human consumption, exposing lake bed, increasing dust pollution and affecting the regional climate.  Wasatch Front air quality is worsened by more frequent and longer commutes and by dust from construction and mining activities.

Implications

  • Mining reclamation and operational changes may open recreation and development opportunities in Oquirrh foothills; careful planning is needed to protect natural resources.
  • Public concerns about mining and its effects may increase as development inches closer to west bench foothills.
  • The diminishing Great Salt Lake affects snowpack, air pollution, wildlife habitat, bird migration and Utah's economy.
Explore Environmental Implications Further

Get Involved

Starting in April 2019 - early 2020, Salt Lake County will actively engage in community outreach and scenario planning, and will:

  • Engage local officials and community members to identify preferences, possibilities, and trade-offs affecting future growth.
  • Prepare scenarios outlining possible futures for the west bench and seek feedback from the public and stakeholders.
  • Consider how to coordinate cities' and metro townships' General Plans with each other and with Salt Lake County plans.

 

Date Description/Location   
June 21- August 15, 2019 Online Public Survey
August 13, 2019 Landownders Meeting
Salt Lake Government Center | 2001 S. State Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84114
August 13, 2019 Magna City Council
8952 W. Magna Main Street, Magna, UT 84044
August 1, 2019 Presentation to Chamber West
Jordan Valley Hospital, 3460 S. Pioneer Parkway, West Valley City, UT
July 31, 2019 Presentation to Herriman City staff
5355 Main Street, Herriman, UT 84096
July 30, 2019 Presentation to Camp Williams staff
17800 1700 W., Bluffdale, UT 84065
July 17, 2019 Salt Lake County / City Planners Technical Advisory Committee
8775 700 W., Sandy, UT 84070
July 17, 2019 Western Growth Coalition Presentation
West Jordan City Hall, 8000 South Redwood Road
July 16, 2019 Presentation to West Valley staff
3600 S. Constitution Boulevard, West Valley City, UT 84119
July 10, 2019 Presentation to Riverton staff
12830 S. Redwood Road, Riverton, UT 84065
June 25, 2019 Presentation to Bluffdale staff
2222 14400 S., Bluffdale, UT 84065
June 21, 2019 Presentation to South Jordan staff
1600 Towne Center Drive, South Jordan, UT 84095
June 20, 2019 Presentation to West Jordan staff
8000 S. Redwood Road, West Jordan, UT 84088
June 17, 2019 Western Growth Coalition
8000 S. Redwood Road, West Jordan, UT 84088
June 10, 2019 Presentation to elected officials of Herriman
5355 Main Street, Herriman, UT 84096
May 29, 2019 UTA Trustees Board
669 W 200 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
May 9, 2019 Mayor Wilson Town Hall
5658 Cougar Lane | Kearns, UT 84118
May 1, 2019 Mayor Wilson Town Hall
Salt Lake Government Center | 2001 S. State Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84114
April 30, 2019  Mayor Wilson Town Hall
Millcreek Library | 2266 E Evergreen Avenue, Millcreek, UT 84109  
April 25,2019   Mayor Wilson Town Hall
Draper Senior Center | 1148 Pioneer Road, Draper, UT 84020 
April 23, 2019

Salt Lake County Council 2.0, Growth Summit
2001 S. State Street, Salt Lake City, 84114
April 23, 2019 Mayor Wilson Town Hall
Equestrian Center | 2100 West 11400 South, South Jordan, UT 84095
February 13, 2019

Salt Lake County Planning Commission Meeting
Salt Lake Government Center | 2001 S. State Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84114
January 26, 2019

Multi-Chamber Event
8215 1300 W., West Jordan, UT 84088
January 17, 2019

Magna Chamber Event
8952 W. Magna Main Street, Magna, UT 84044