From Deseret News archives:

Utahns weigh in on land issues

Published: Monday, Oct. 30, 2006 10:49 p.m. MST
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
Most Utah residents think the Legislature should stay out of local land-use and development issues, and that planning commissions, mayors and city councils should have the most input, according to a poll.

The survey, commissioned by the Utah League of Cities and Towns, also showed that residents think open space is a priority in local planning. People responding to the survey were divided in their opinions about whether planning in their cities was "shortsighted," "developer friendly," "community based" or "long range."

The poll of 605 residents by Dan Jones & Associates was done Aug. 7-15 and had a margin of error of 4 percent.

Neil Abercrombie, a policy analyst with the league, said Monday he thought the poll showed Utahns are becoming increasingly interested in development issues. As a result, the league is looking to better educate municipal leaders about land-use regulations and public perceptions, he said.

Pollster Dan Jones said Monday he believes the survey could be a significant tool for local leaders, planners, property owners and developers — the groups that will shape future land-use decisions in Utah.

Story continues below
"What it really shows is that people are much more concerned today than they were 10 to 15 years ago about how open space is parceled out to contractors, individual homeowners or businesses," Jones said. "People are much more knowledgable about planning commissions and zoning regulations and how zoning comes about."

During the survey, residents were asked to list the three most important issues in their neighborhoods. All responses dealt with issues related to growth, with 27 percent saying education was the most important, 22 percent listing transportation, 18 percent listing crime, 15 percent listing growth and taxes and 9 percent listing overdevelopment.

In a separate question, 37 percent of the residents surveyed said local planning commissions should have the most input in development issues, while only 2 percent said the Legislature should have input. About 32 percent said that local leaders should "preserve open spaces to resist further development."

Chris Kyler, spokesman for the Utah Association of Realtors, said Monday the poll results didn't surprise him. But his group also believes local governments need better training on land-use laws, he said, because too often, they don't understand the law.

Comments

You can be the first to comment on this story.

Image
Deseret Morning News graphic

previousnext

Latest comments

Editorial: 10 years of TRAX

Sorry earlier I meant to say that tracks seems to travel at 35 miles an hour...

'Peter Frumhoff, the director of science and policy at the Union of...

The Non-BCS crowd ought to create their own title game...their own brand, and...

Letters: Democrats' ethics

That's the whole of your defense of GOP resistance to badly-needed ethics...

Your criticism should hardly be focused on Bennett alone. What about all the...

'Wired's Threat Level blog reported on November 20 that Gavin Schmidt, a...

The reality of climate change is supported by multiple lines of evidence and...

BYU professor remembered

I had the priviledge of staying in the LeBaron home on severl occasions as I...

Letters: Growing jobless rate

So the unemployment rate has dropped to "just" 10%, huh? I wonder what that...

Ahh for the love of money...what money can buy!!!

Advertisements