Commissioners discuss fast-tracking Fairways Drive trail; impact-fee funding and connections unsettled

County staff and local developers asked commissioners on Monday to accelerate construction of a trail along the Fairways Drive road extension and to authorize use of Upper Valley impact fees to pay for immediate work while procurement and reimbursements are finalized.

The request concerns a roughly 0.84-mile trail and how it will connect into existing and planned segments from Wolf Creek Drive to River Drive, Eden Park and beyond; commissioners and staff emphasized avoiding "trails to nowhere" and completing connections where feasible.

Ashley Tolan, a county presenter, told commissioners the trail segment is about 0.84 mile and estimated an approximate cost ceiling of $350,000 to grade, place 8 inches of road base and lay 3 inches of asphalt on the north side of the road. Tolan said that $200,000 was already included in the county budget this year for path widening and that staff planned to request another $200,000 in 2026 and $200,000 in 2027. Tolan also said the Upper Valley impact-fee fund balance was about $900,000 as of 2024 and that impact fees must be spent within five years.

Commissioner Bullos and Commissioner Harvey asked how the new trail would tie to existing segments. Commissioner Bullos said he did not "like having trails to nowhere." County staff and developer representatives said there are short gaps to fill to create a continuous route: the exchange project is committing to a trail to the northern part of the golf course, and staff estimated an eighth of a mile gap remains on Highway 158 (Wolf Creek Drive). Brad (identified in the meeting as a trail expert) and developer John Lewis offered to help fill missing segments and to provide materials or reimbursement; Lewis said his team could supply road base and assist with construction and reimbursement to the county.

Sean Wilk and others confirmed the project appears on the Ogden Valley general plan active-transportation map, and staff said they could accelerate procurement by shortening the public-bid window. Commissioners discussed alternatives to using impact fees now, including swapping other grant or developer reimbursements so impact-fee timing constraints would be easier to meet. One commissioner suggested swapping the Waycock (transcript: "Waycock") funding with impact fees so the trail could be advanced and reimbursements aligned with grant funding.

Staff also noted there are other funding options, mentioning GOEO funding and a $600,000 funding mechanism cited by staff for back-end support. Commissioners asked staff to check whether reimbursements from developers reset the impact-fee timing or otherwise affect the fund accounting; staff said they would follow up.

No formal vote or motion to allocate funds was recorded in the work session. Commissioners expressed support for advancing the project and asked staff to pursue procurement steps, to confirm reimbursement accounting details and to return with a recommended funding and construction plan.

(Ending) Commissioners instructed staff to pursue next steps: refine scope and procurement timing, check accounting and reimbursements, and return with a plan that clarifies how the new segment will connect to the regional trail network and funding sources.