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Davis COG backs use of $24 million in corridor-preservation funds to buy West Davis Corridor parcels
Summary
The Council of Governments voted to have staff work with UDOT to apply about $24 million from the county corridor preservation fund to purchase remaining parcels for the West Davis Corridor; the purchases still require county commission approval and UDOT will handle wetland mitigation when the highway is built.
The Davis County Council of Governments voted to recommend that county staff work with the Utah Department of Transportation to use roughly $24 million in the county corridor preservation fund to acquire remaining parcels for the West Davis Corridor.
County staff presented the request, explaining the corridor preservation fund is supported by a $10 county fee collected when motor vehicles are registered. Since the program began the fund has been used almost exclusively to acquire land for the West Davis Corridor; staff said the account currently holds a little more than $24 million and that money can buy “most of the rest of the corridor” the county and UDOT still need to acquire.
County planner Jeff Oiler told the council that the fund is intended to speed right‑of‑way acquisition so corridors are ready when construction funding and schedules align. Oiler said the county’s purchases acquire ground regardless of what is beneath it; environmental mitigation—such as wetlands mitigation—would be handled by UDOT when the highway is built, not with the corridor‑preservation dollars.
Council members asked whether Wasatch Front Regional Council funds or other sources could be used for acquisitions; staff said WFRC funds historically have not been used for corridor purchases but offered to research the newly passed corridor‑preservation legislation for any expanded authority. One member questioned why the county would buy land for a UDOT road; staff responded that the statute that created the fund envisions local participation to expedite corridor purchase and that reimbursement has not happened to date.
A motion to move forward with the recommendation—directing staff to negotiate with UDOT to purchase the remainder of the corridor using the corridor preservation fund—was moved, seconded and approved by the council. The recommendation will be forwarded to the county commission, which has final authority to approve purchases and any reimbursements between UDOT and the county.
Next steps described by staff include negotiating prices with property owners and coordinating with UDOT on which parcels should be acquired first. The council noted that once the corridor is fully acquired, the group should discuss the future of the vehicle registration fee that funds the account and whether it should be reduced or sunsetted if no new corridor purchases are needed.
