Linden council approves purchase of 6.12 acres on Lakeview Road for road, park and stormwater uses

The Linden City Council voted May 5 to purchase approximately 6.12 acres west of State Street (400 West / Lakeview Road area) for $3.4 million as presented by city staff.

City staff told the council the parcel could serve multiple municipal needs: part of a future connection between 400 North and 400 West, about 2.5 acres for stormwater detention, a community park and a potential future culinary well site. The council’s action authorizes staff to coordinate closing with the property owners and the owners’ realtor and pursue timing/options with state transportation partners.

The city presented background showing the road connection has been on Linden’s street master plan since 1968 and remained in subsequent plans; UDOT model runs provided to the city estimated average annual daily traffic (AADT) of about 8,200 on the new connection in 2028 and suggested the new road could divert roughly 4,000 vehicles a day away from the 200 North/State Street intersection. Staff said UDOT has verbally committed roughly $1 million toward road construction but has clarified that such funding could not be used for buying right of way.

Adam Cowie, a city staff presenter, told the council: "The decision you're making tonight is whether or not we're buying the property. It's not whether or not we're putting in the roadway or when we're putting in the roadway." Cowie outlined several funding sources the city would apply to the purchase and future construction: $1,000,000 from the city road fund; $1,375,000 from park impact fees; $500,000 from park-tax balance; $325,000 remaining in the State Street RDA; and $200,000 from the stormwater fund, which together match the $3.4 million appraisal the city cited.

Staff described two regional grant pathways that could supplement local funds if the city moves quickly: Mountainland Association of Governments (MAG) Corridor Preservation funds (which require being on the Regional Transportation Plan and prohibit closing the purchase before grant award), and MAG’s TIP (Transportation Improvement Program) funds (which staff said would not be available for reimbursement until about 2029). Council members and staff discussed MAG timing requirements, the need to adopt a functional-class change to ‘‘minor arterial’’ to pursue some Corridor Preservation funding, and the practical timing constraints if the city wants to pursue a MAG application this year.

Council members pressed staff on neighborhood notification and future land use. Several council members said neighbors on Fourth West and surrounding streets were unaware of the purchase proposal; staff said the agenda item had been posted but the city had not mailed neighborhood notices because the item was not a land-use application. Council members debated whether the city should proactively host a public meeting before building a road or making rezoning decisions. A number of council members also raised concern about appearance and precedent if the city were to buy the land and later change zoning to permit more intense residential development; staff noted that any future zone changes would follow the normal public-notice and public-hearing process.

Council members also asked staff to verify irrigation/water-share status. Staff said the seller had turned in water shares in the past and that staff would confirm whether the shares covered the full parcel.

Motion and outcome: Council member Van Broderick moved to approve purchase of the 6.12-acre parcel at 400 West/Lakeview Road "as presented," seconded by Council member Steve Stewart. The motion carried. Staff said they would coordinate timing and earnest-money details with the Thornton family and their realtor, and pursue MAG/UDOT timing to attempt to secure corridor or TIP funding.

Why it matters: Staff and regional modelers told the council UDOT identified a safety problem at the nearby 200 North/State Street intersection (warrant studies that highlighted severe left‑turn crash movements). The city’s purchase is intended to preserve a municipal option to construct a safer connection route and to control an alternative development path (park/detention/well) rather than leaving the parcel to private development that could trigger a different roadway configuration.

What’s next: Staff will coordinate closing details with the sellers’ realtor, follow up with MAG/UDOT about Corridor Preservation/TIP opportunities and the transportation commission schedule, verify irrigation shares, and return to the council with implementation steps and public‑engagement plans as design and funding are confirmed.