The County Courthouse is working with Kamas, Francis, Oakley and the Utah Department of Transportation to create a “holistic vision” for the S.R. 32 corridor and to determine infrastructure improvements for all three municipalities’ city centers.
Community members interested in providing feedback and learning more about the project, which is in its planning stages, are invited to an open house next Monday.
The S.R. 32 Corridor and City Centers Plan is funded by the Utah Department of Transportation and Mountainland Association of Governments. It aims to implement strategies regarding land use, transportation, economic development and recreation in the Kamas Valley.
“State Route 32 is the main corridor in South Summit. It links several communities together along a highway,” said Summit County Director of Transportation Planning Carl Miller. “Finding a strategic approach that serves the region — and the communities within it — is critical to ensure that the future of the Kamas Valley is safe, healthy and vibrant.”
Francis City Planner Katie Henneuse said the plan aims to balance and complement “regional use” of the corridor with the needs of local communities, which is why city center development is a key aspect of the project.
“The Kamas Valley is at a pivotal moment in its growth and development, and this project will help the communities coordinate planning efforts and identify the best possible outcomes,” she said. “Community engagement is a priority in this process, and we hope many community members visit the open house and become involved.”
The open house will be the second this year focused on the S.R. 32 Corridor and City Centers Plan. The first was in January, and the project team has been evaluating feedback from the community and developing a set of alternatives for the corridor and the city centers.
Those alternatives “seek to achieve the full range of project goals and balance the priorities for the corridor,” such as sustainably accommodating growth, preserving rural character and open space, increasing roadway safety, building trails and establishing “vibrant city centers,” according to a press release.
“Kamas is honored to be a part of this extraordinarily coordinated effort that will bring vision and cohesion to the Kamas Valley,” said Kamas City Planner Amanda Curtis. “Development is no longer knocking, it is here. It is now up to us as a community to decide what the future of our towns will look like.”
Oakley City Planner Stephanie Woolstenhulme similarly praised the plan and its project team, pointing out a desire to “promote our agricultural heritage and economic diversity.”
More information on the S.R. 32 Corridor and City Centers Plan is available at SR32.org.
The open house is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Monday, June 9, at the Summit County Library branch in Kamas.