1120 North

A recent Dilbert cartoon shows Dogbert, the nerdy yet tyrannical dictator, giving a speech. He says, "As president, I will not make decisions based on polls. In fact, I won't give you a single thing that you want. That's called leadership."

There is resounding applause, showing just how fictional Dogbert's world is. Dogbert congratulates himself under his dog breath, saying, "I'll never understand why that works."

Here in American Fork, not giving people what they want does absolutely nothing for the City Council's approval rating. Especially not in the vicinity of 1120 North, where the Council seems determined to allow the completion of the road.

Despite protests from many immediate neighbors, extension of 1120 North to 900 West remains a major priority for this administration. Here's why.

Design. From the time the junior high was built in the 1970s, 1120 North has been shown on the master plan as a major collector extending from 100 East to 900 West. A major collector has a width of 82 feet which encompass two lanes of travel, a center turn lane, and ten-foot shoulders. The 82 feet also encompass curb and gutter, mowstrips, sidewalks, and one additional foot right-of-way on either side of the street. This design is intended to create a safe environment for pedestrians while accommodating the through-traffic that serves the neighborhood, much of which is generated by Hunter Park, the school, and the two churches that sit on 1120 North. The speed limit along 1120 North is and will remain residential at 25 mph. (Enforcing that speed limit is a separate but valid question.)

Function. The function of 1120 North, in the context of the overall transportation plan for the northwest, is to serve as one of three east-west collectors. The other two are 700 North and 9600 North. 9600 North, I hasten to say, is NOT an American Fork City street. It sits in Highland and is under the jurisdiction of Highland City. Nevertheless, it does fulfill the function of conveying traffic through the northwest. (See my earlier post here for more on 9600 North).

The purpose of creating multiple collectors is to take the full impact of traffic off any one road. 1120 North makes conditions safer on 700 North and 9600 North, while they, in turn, take pressure off 1120 North. Additionally, completion of 1120 North will relieve some of the burden on 540/560 West, 350 West, and 150 West. This is sound, pedestrian-friendly residential design.

1120 North is also seen as vitally important for police, fire, and ambulance service. It will significantly reduce response times to the surrounding neighborhoods.

Water. 1120 North is strategically important to the City because it is the location of a 16-inch water line needed to provide fire protection to the Meadows. Residents have raised several questions about the water line which deserve special attention:

Is there not adequate fire protection at the Meadows now? Yes, fire protection is adequate for present, but not for future development the Meadows.

Can't the City deny future growth at the Meadows? No. In this free country of ours, private property rights are supreme. The Woodbury Corporation, which owns the property, has the right to develop it commercially because it sits in a commercial zone. The City may, on finding that either its ordinance protection or its infrastructure is inadequate, impose a moratorium on new growth, but the moratorium may only last 6 months and the City must cure the deficiency within that time.

Is there no other route for the necessary water line? No. Engineers did initially look into running the water line around the Lehi detention pond, but water pressure would have been inadequate because of the many right angle turns. Other issues with wetlands in the area make 1120 North the only viable route. For what it's worth, the water line is already in place along 900 West up to 1120 North, and along 1120 North up to about 650 West. Only two blocks remain until the City can make the connection. Rerouting the water line at this point would be a multi-million dollar proposition. No matter how you look at it, this option is simply not feasible.

What about the wetlands? Why build a road through such a beautiful natural area? The wetlands are the reason the road is so expensive to build, and this, in turn, is why it has taken the City Council so long to fund and finish the road. Careful engineering, in compliance with the requirements of the Army Corps of Engineers, will preserve the wetlands and mitigate the road's impact. Eventually, residents will be given access to the natural scenery on the trail that is planned to go under the bridge where the road crosses the wetlands. (Status: The trail, which is part of the trail system at Hunter Park and is eventually planned to provide pedestrian access to the Meadows, is planned but not funded.)

Funding. 1120 North is complete to about 650 West. Connecting it to 900 West, a distance of less than three blocks, will cost $1.145 million. Funding, I need not say, is a challenge. Several options are under consideration. The road is eligible for impact fees -- but impact fees are also needed to serve new growth in many other parts of town. An assessment district is another possibility. This mechanism would pass the cost of the road to the businesses which have a financial interest in the water connection. The question is far from resolved, which is why completion is stalled.

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1120 North, from 100 East to 900 West, has been on the general plan since the 1970s and neighbors who bought in the area did so with full knowledge of this fact. No action is now pending on 1120 North. Its designation on the general plan is not up for revision; it is not proposed for widening. Funding is stalled.

Why, then, are we hearing so much public outcry?

I don't know. All I know is that the neighborhoods being built around Hunter Park are beautiful and family-friendly. If I lived there, I would want to be sure that the City Council also understood the pristine residential character of the neighborhood and would act to protect it.

I can only respond by saying that we do understand and we do care, and that's why we need to go ahead with the road. Because of the critical public safety issues involved -- from the safety of children and pedestrians to emergency response times in the neighborhood to water pressure at the Meadows -- its completion is seen as vitally important to the interests of both the local neighborhood and the community as a whole.

One final note:

Extension to the east. If you consult the transportation element of the general plan, you will see that 1120 North is shown crossing 100 East and coming to a terminus at 200 East. This is the condition that exists now. However, if you look near the Mt. Timpanogos Temple on 900 East, you'll also see that the general plan shows a new road at 980 North shaving off the top of Art Dye park and connecting with 500 East, where there is an option to turn west at 900 North and meet up with 200 East. Presumably, this could become a useful route for Cedar Hills traffic wishing to access 1120 North and thence Costco.

I don't much like this road because it goes through Art Dye. I would not be sad if it disappeared from the general plan. However, I'm not sure it would have a devastating impact on the northwest neighborhoods, given the length of the light at 100 East and all the four-way stops and right angle turns cars would have to take to get from 900 East to 200 East. To my eye, it's much less convenient than the route that now exists along 700 North.