Mountain View Corridor speeding up

"These opportunities just don't present themselves every day," Killpack said of the Mountain View agreement. Killpack and House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, were the chief negotiators behind the transit and land deal.

With the land donation, the state will have access to 50 percent of the property it needs to build the 10-mile stretch of Mountain View from 90000 South to Redwood Road. Three developers contributed land: Kennecott Land, Sorensen Development and Development Associates.

Lawmakers denied any suggestions during a noon press conference on Friday that the land deal was made by pressuring developers or with incentives. Also, they said they did not pressure UTA to obtain land for the 5600 West rail line as a way of pushing environmental groups away from a lawsuit. At present, UDOT is finishing an environmental study of Mountain View and anticipates federal approval of the road sometime next year.

The agency has studied several options for the road, including an alignment along 7200 West. The agency prefers 5800 West because it impacts fewer homes and wetlands, although it does cut across the property of two schools.

Earlier this week, the Granite School District board approved a resolution asking that UDOT study a new alignment for Mountain View away from schools located along 5800 West.

Likewise, Cameron Cova, transportation chair for Utah Moms for Clean Air, said she was pleased with the transit deal announced Friday, but her group was also concerned about the overall impact of Mountain View on the schools and the state's air quality.

For more information about Mountain View, log on to www.udot.utah.gov/mountainview.

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E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com