Q: Is the Point of the Mountain Project only focused on the Utah State Prison site in Draper?
A: No. The prison site will be a central concern in the planning and public engagement process, but it is one part of an all-encompassing plan for the region. See this map for a better idea of the wider region this project is focused on.
Q: What will be the result of the Point of the Mountain visioning process?
A: The result of this process will be a ready-to-use, long range vision or plan for the future of the area, along with an implementation strategy. The vision will be a guide to businesses, cities, developers, private land owners, and everyone else who has a stake in the future of the region. The Point of the Mountain Development Commission, with the help of Envision Utah, will work with the public and the many others who have a stake in the future of the Point of the Mountain to develop the vision.
Q: With the focus on economic development will it be recommended that the area become an office park?
A: No. There are tens of thousands of acres of land being considered by the Point of the Mountain project. Though there will be some office construction as the area develops as a tech hub, the aim of this visioning process is to ensure that other important community assets (such as open space, safe communities, convenient services, and recreation) are considered and built.
Q: Why does this project keep mentioning growth? How quickly is the area growing?
The Point of the Mountain region is growing at a rapid pace. In just the first half of 2016, more than 20 commercial building permits were issued in the Point of the Mountain area, and forty percent of the state’s job growth in recent years has been in southern Salt Lake County and northern Utah County. This project's goal is to create a plan that accommodates this inevitable growth in ways that current and future generations of Utahns will be happy with.
Q: Who is going to benefit from the development of the prison site?
A: The process will examine different options for the site and the potential revenue that will be received by the state and its taxpayers, with an eye toward maximizing the benefits to the people of Utah, including monetary return, job creation, and quality of life. The options will be shared with the public for feedback.
Q: Who owns the land around the Point of the Mountain?
A: Hundreds of different public and private landowners own land in the region. The vast majority of the land in the area is privately owned. Involving these landowners throughout the establishment of a shared vision will be crucial in planning for a future that benefits people throughout the Point of the Mountain and across the Wasatch Front.
Q: What is the Point of the Mountain Development Commission?
A: The Utah Legislature created the Point of the Mountain Development Commission in 2016 to create a long-term, strategic plan for growth around the Point of the Mountain. See the Commission page for more information on the commission.
Q: How did Envision Utah get involved?
A: The Point of the Mountain Development Commission underwent a thorough, months-long proposal process to find a team to lead the visioning effort. Five teams with national and local expertise submitted proposals. Envision Utah’s team received the highest score and was hired by the commission with a unanimous vote.
Q: What are some of the preliminary concerns you’ve identified early on and are considering?
· Economic development
- How do we ensure the high tech industry can continue to grow?
- How do we create a place that is attractive to employers and employees?
· Communities and housing
- How do we ensure a high quality of life for residents in and surrounding the area?
- How do we provide a variety of community and housing types that match workforce needs?
· Transportation
- How do we avoid worsening the bottleneck on I-15?
- How do we make it convenient to travel throughout the area, whether by car, bicycle, foot, or public transportation?
- How do we design the communities in the area to reduce how much people have to drive?
- How do we pay for the infrastructure that’s needed?
· Air Quality
- Can we create more ways for people to get around without cars?
- Will new buildings be built to emit less pollution?
· Infrastructure
- What kind of power or telecommunications needs do high-tech businesses have?
- Where will water resources come from?
· Open Space
- What kind of open space and recreation options need to be available?
- What are the environmental concerns?
· Does the Point of the Mountain become another major education hub?
· What will buildings, homes, and public space look like?
Q: What is the timeline for the Point of the Mountain visioning process?
· Phase 1 of the process is beginning now and will last through spring of 2017. It includes—
- Bringing together key stakeholders and experts and assembling teams to examine the many issues to consider
- Researching markets, demographics, and best practices of other high-tech centers
- Gathering input from the public and stakeholders on concepts and goals for the Point of the Mountain
· Phase 2 will last through late 2017. It will include—
- Using the data and input from phase 1 to develop possible scenarios for the future of the Point of the Mountain
- Gathering public and stakeholder input on those scenarios and establishing a preferred scenario
· Phase 3 will begin in late 2017. It will include—
- Developing a vision based on the public input from phases 1 and 2
- Developing a funding strategy and plan for implementing the vision
- Beginning vision implementation
- Creating a final report
Q: Who is included on Envision Utah’s team for the visioning effort?
- Envision Utah – Stakeholder engagement & public outreach
- Fehr & Peers – National transportation experts
- Fregonese Associates – Nationally-renowned land use and planning experts
- HOK – World-class urban and building designers
- Horrocks – Local infrastructure experts with intimate knowledge of the region
- RCLCO – One of the nation’s leading experts in market and real estate research
- Sherwood – One of the nation’s leading civil & environmental engineering firms
- SWCA – Leading recreation and environmental impact engineers
- Zions Bank – Local project funding and implementation experts
Q: How can I be involved in this process?
A: We encourage everyone who’s interested to sign up for our newsletter on the homepage of this website to stay up-to-date on meetings and opportunities for public input. We will post information about all meetings on our website. You can also follow Envision Utah on Facebook or Twitter. In addition, we will be providing updates and information to different news outlets throughout the process. We want you to be involved and to know what’s going on at the Point of the Mountain.
Q: Who is Envision Utah?
A: Envision Utah is a nonprofit that engages people to create and sustain communities that are beautiful, prosperous, healthy, and neighborly for current and future residents. To learn more, visit envisionutah.org.
