As Oakley City officials collaborate with businessman Steve Smith to reimagine the future of the town center, they must also consider the results of a newly released survey that underscores what the community wants.
Small town feel. Rural living. Open spaces. Quiet. Community Pride. Those are Oakley residents’ top five favorite things about living in the South Summit town. Yet opinions varied on how to balance a bucolic lifestyle within a changing community.
The city survey closed on Sept. 30 with more than 200 responses registered. Officials plan to use the information to facilitate future policies such as updates to the city’s general plan, zoning and other land use regulations as well as planning for parks, recreation, roadwork and more. The findings were released earlier this month, just ahead of the Oakley City Council meeting on Oct. 11, when the updated city center plan was also presented.
Survey results indicated the majority of Oakley City residents feel favorably about their town with 93% of respondents saying they enjoy an excellent quality of life and 96% agree Oakley is a great place to live. More than half of the people said they are satisfied with the local government and that the city is moving in the right direction.
Developing an inviting city center, creating safer pathways near S.R. 32 throughout the city and more trails overall, improving traffic safety and speed control, and protecting dark skies were listed as areas in need of the most attention.
Around 63% of residents said Oakley is missing elements to promote community character, such as an inviting Main Street or beautiful landscaping, with 54% saying recreational trails are a needed improvement.
However, some residents appeared divided about how officials should approach these areas. The survey allowed for open responses with people offering mixed perspectives about whether the community is growing too fast or too slow, if it’s accepting of newcomers and what type of development is welcome at the city center. For example, two people said, “Stop Steve Smith,” while two others encouraged officials to “Work with Steve Smith.”
The longer responses were mostly critical of overdevelopment, particularly what has been proposed under Smith’s vision for the city center, with some residents stating they fear the community is turning into Park City or Heber City.
“The more Oakley gets built out, the less I’ll want to stay,” one response said.
The top responses for the needs of the city center were to keep it simple and small, turn it into a community gathering place and do nothing. Some people said they wanted to see bars, restaurants and retail shops, while others said Oakley is not well suited for such businesses. There appeared to be more unanimity in improving the safety and walkability of the town and keeping an old West theme.
Doug Evans, a member of the Oakley City Survey Committee, presented the findings to the City Council and Planning Commission last week. Then Kris Longson from the city center development team updated the group on the latest plan for the site near Center Street and S.R. 32.
The detailed renderings showed updated plans based on feedback from residents, who listed open space as a top priority and traffic circulation as a main concern.
One image showed a large “Welcome to Oakley” sign accompanied by a statue of a cowboy inviting people into the town square at the corner of S.R. 32 and W. Center Street next to Oakley City Hall. The area would remain undeveloped and could be used as a park area. Longson said this would support the desire for a gathering place articulated by residents in the survey.
The renderings depicted a bustling space for the community and appeared to draw on the area’s agricultural heritage. New additions include hitching posts for horses, bike parking, pedestrian walkways and more connections throughout the area.
Smith’s vision also includes a grocery store, retailers and other small businesses in the city center. Some residents expressed concerns this might attract larger corporations and lead existing entities such as Ken’s Kash to be converted into Whole Foods or Smith’s Food and Drug. However, the square footage for the new buildings under the businessman’s proposal is smaller than traditional big-box stores.
The group discussed the possibility of a land swap between the city and Smith to help make the project possible. No formal action was taken. The City Council is scheduled to meet for a regular session on Oct. 25 and a work session on Nov. 8. The Planning Commission is set to meet on Nov. 1. The agendas have not yet been released.