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Residents push back at Hooper City hearing on proposed 5500 West widening
Summary
At a public hearing Aug. 21, residents told the Hooper City Council they oppose widening 5500 West, citing safety, parking and tree loss; engineers said the project is funded by regional grants and HUD, is designed for a 30 mph limit and targets construction in 2027 pending design, right-of-way and bids.
Hooper City Council heard residents' concerns Aug. 21 over a proposed widening of 5500 West between 5500 South and the south county line.
Resident Nick Haskin told the council he opposed the plan because sidewalks, curbing and gutters would remove on-street parking and mature trees and could increase vehicle speeds. "I'm just not supportive of it," Haskin said, adding that his lot is narrow and he uses the roadside area for loading horse trailers during community events. Kim Christiansen, a longtime resident, said the road needs repair but urged traffic-calming measures, saying she had seen cars "going by my house going at least 100 miles an hour" and that children walking to school make the stretch dangerous.
Taylor Stoffler, an engineer with JUB, presented the proposal and answered residents' questions. Stoffler said Phase 2 (the south-side work) was funded through the Wasatch Front Regional Council with supplemental U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) support for environmental review and preliminary engineering. He said design work is expected to begin within weeks, preliminary engineering and right-of-way work will take several months, and construction is targeted to start in 2027.
On design standards, Stoffler said the project is being designed for a 30 mph posted speed and that there is no plan to increase the limit. He also said UDOT has preliminarily discussed placing highway connections near 5500 South and 4000 South but final spacing and ramp decisions are subject to further review. When residents asked about drainage, Stoffler said final calculations are not complete but that reinforced-concrete pipe in the 24to 30-inch range is likely for some crossings.
City staff and the engineer emphasized that most funding was secured in 2020 and that regional partners frequently provide additional funds when inflation or bids exceed initial estimates; the city could face additional costs only if bids or unforeseen conditions exceed grant coverage. Stoffler said typical project contingency and inflation allowances are included in current cost opinions, and WFRC has historically made supplemental funding available in later stages.
The council did not take a final vote on the project tonight; the public hearing provided residents an opportunity to register concerns ahead of design and right-of-way negotiations.
