#EM2019 – CC Question – Rural Culture

There is no question that the nature of our city is important to me. I moved here to get away from the crowded and loud city that Salt Lake County was becoming. I believe we are already addressing the rural culture and feel of the city with how we are changing our zone code. I have been a driving force in increasing the lot sizes, setbacks, being more prescriptive about where certain developments belong and where they do not. I am not naive enough to think that a city of almost 40,000 people will remain like it once was in the early 2000s. However, I do believe the way that we have curbed the sprawl in the last 18 months has sent a message to developers that we don’t want to be Salt Lake County or even like the cities on the eastside of Utah Lake. We want horse trails, pedestrian paths(not sidewalks), open improved space that our citizens can enjoy. I am proud of our efforts to make sure that the trail systems throughout our city are connected.

I do think the rural culture is important. I think it is what has brought many of us to Eagle Mountain. As I have heard discussions within the community I know there is a divide between those that want to have some businesses and services closer to home and those that like the rural feeling. There are probably a few that want a bit of both, that is really where I find myself. I believe that planning is key in allowing for the growth while keeping that rural feeling alive. Conserving certain areas of the city is important to maintaining a balance. If you look at the long range plan there are attempts to do this, but we should be ever vigilant in this as we update planning.

Yes, it is very important. The rural culture is what makes Eagle Mountain the way it is. The city can still grow, but at a reasonable pace that the people agree with. We cannot let the developers dictate our growth. The zoning needs to align with the values of the citizens.

It is extremely important to me, and my voting record shows it has been. One of the driving motivators for me is the desire to guarantee Eagle Mountain remains a robust community that continues to value open space, a variety of unique lifestyle options, and follows a feasible, but unparalleled way of life; we are and should be a vibrant self-sustaining community with a small-town feel. Eagle Mountain is not West Valley, Provo, or any other city in Utah, it begs to differ. Eagle Mountain is unlike any other community in Utah and I want it to remain that way as the city transitions through the inevitable growth and change we are experiencing. The key is to draw lines and stand your ground. Development, especially in the higher densities, tends to encroach on open spaces and on lower density homes. Strategically, this means having specific focus on protecting the feel of the larger lot areas of EM: North Ranch/Meadow Ranch areas, Cedar Pass Ranch, Lake Mountain. One of my greatest accomplishments was to pitch the Lot Size Buffering code, which buffers lower and higher densities from each other so you don’t end up with ½ acre next to apartment buildings. That code has helped protect many residents from encroachment and allows them to continue to live their more rural lifestyle, while still allowing for the more suburban lifestyle of other developments, just with a reasonable buffer between.

One of my favorite things about Eagle Mountain is the small town feeling we enjoy here. The scenery and the people make it the best place to live in Utah. As we work to create an economically stable and visually appealing city, we will be able to largely maintain our culture. I want to maintain or improve our existing ratio of suburban-to-high-density homes by approving more suburban development agreements than high-density.

Yes! The rural culture and feel is very important to me. I think to some extent tho, it’s unrealistic to expect to maintain a rural culture in perpetuity, despite sustained, rapid growth. However, this does not mean that Eagle Mountain in its entirety must lose the rural feel. We have a huge city geographically and we can (and should) use that to our advantage! We have plenty of room to maintain rural areas and sections, while still allowing other sections to develop commercially and suburban. Another important thing along this line is having abundant access to recreational opportunities outdoors. We have many hiking opportunities throughout the city and I will work to maintain that. With how much space we have, we don’t need to develop everything. I fully support the ridgeline building ban in place and will maintain that. We have many trails that I would like to preserve as well.

The rural feel of Eagle Mountain is important to me. I enjoy the open space, the quiet, and the occasional wildlife that I see. The landscaping along the parkways, the walking paths, and the designated open space will help Eagle Mountain maintain this rural feel as it grows. The undeveloped areas along the ridges will also support this. The transportation master plan routes the majority of traffic along the borders of the city and should reduce the traffic through the town to local travel. If Eagle Mountain grows in accordance with the future land use map, the mix of rural density and single-family neighborhoods will not be overwhelmed by the occasional areas of properly developed, higher-density housing.

The rural culture and feel is very important to me. On Planning Commission, I have fought for bigger lots with animal rights, as well as “move up” family and Estate size lots. Beyond bigger lots, with development, I think we need to promote communities, not just houses. By keeping lots of open space, parks, walking trails etc., this will keep the rural feeling at any size. Being able to get outside, and enjoy the outdoors, will keep that feeling.