That has spurred the Davis County Council of Governments, or COG, a planning committee of the 15 mayors and three county commissioners, to begin buying raw land for an extension to S.R. 67. During today's COG meeting in Fruit Heights, the COG is expected to vote during closed session to move forward on executing real estate deals with two property owners whose parcels of raw land sit in the proposed corridor for S.R. 67, said Davis County planner Scott Hess.

Currently, $10 of the annual fee motorists pay to register their vehicles in Davis County is dedicated toward preserving the corridor for S.R. 67, allowing the COG to spend up to $2 million a year with a 100 percent match from the state until July 2009, Hess said.

But the buying power of $4 million this year and next, and $2 million a year after that is just a drop in the bucket.

Estimates peg the cost of purchasing the total corridor for S.R. 67 at over $100 million — and that's just for the land.

But property owners have begun knocking on Hess' door. Eight other properties are close to or in the process of being appraised for future COG approval. Interested parties may contact Hess at (801) 451-3279.

"It's forward-thinking," Hess said. "It's an innovative way to pay for state roads."

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E-mail: jdougherty@desnews.com