'Draper' voters are in no-man's land

DRAPER, Utah County — Residents on the south side of a hilltop development knew they were moving into Utah County when they bought homes in Draper.

But they didn't realize they would be in a no-man's land when it came to obtaining loans, transporting children to school and voting in municipal elections.

Only 39 registered voters live in the Utah County section of Draper. They aren't told to head to the polls, however. They are asked to vote by absentee ballot.

"In that district area, we sent out absentee ballots they have to mail in," Draper City Recorder Melanie Dansie said. "There's no question that having a city split between two counties is a problem on a lot of issues. In this case, we just called Utah County and asked for their help."

The awkwardness shouldn't last forever.

"We thought this would be easier for the residents," assistant City Recorder Linda Dunlaby said. "By the next election, they'll have a polling place, I think."

"The mail-in solution is more cost-effective and simple," Utah County elections coordinator Kris Swensen said. "We don't have to pay for judges to sit there for 39 voters. Plus, it's very convenient for them. They can vote at their leisure. The only stipulation is that the ballots have to be postmarked by the day before the election."

The affected voters have mixed feelings.

"I feel kind of disconnected, kind of removed from things," said Steve Van Otten, one of the few in the housing development whose house falls on the Utah County side of the county line. "I'm going to vote, but I don't know a lot about what's going on in Draper city."

Traci Crockett wants to be more connected to Utah County.

"I mostly just feel like we're in Draper," she said. "I'm hoping it changes once the road (from the south side) gets in. It's hard to be in a different county than everyone else."

Others said they've run into problems getting loans approved because maps show Draper addresses as being in Salt Lake County.

The SunCrest development was approved 16 years ago in a controversial decision that upset many Utah County residents, particularly in Highland and Alpine. Homeowners in the two cities did not want to see the Traverse Mountain ridgeline altered.

In 1987, Estes Development proposed a project then known as Traverse Ridge, a project designed to include 6,500 homes.

Utah County's Board of Adjustments, worried about how to provide essential services, denied the request. Estes then approached Draper, which petitioned the Salt Lake County Board of Adjustments for permission to annex the 4,500 acres. That permission was granted.

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