Lawmakers join talks with foes of Legacy

Lawmakers are joining the state's negotiations with opponents of the proposed Legacy Parkway after rejecting a proposed deal that carried a price tag of more than $1 million.

Details of the agreement in principle between the Utah Department of Transportation and the Sierra Club and other groups that sued over the highway project have not been made public.

But the agreement was circulated among legislators on Wednesday, who decided in their Republican majority caucuses to push for a more acceptable settlement in the hopes of finally getting the controversial 14-mile highway built.

Although it appears Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. was ready to back the proposed deal, House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, said lawmakers have the final say because the price tag of the settlement totals more than $1 million.

"I don't think we're far apart. But there were some strong feelings in the Legislature in regards to some specific terms," Curtis said, declining to be more specific about pending litigation.

Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem, said that during their closed-door caucus, GOP senators debated the proposed agreement "pretty robustly for an hour or so . . . There are elements we don't agree on."

The legislative leaders tried Wednesday to meet with the governor after their caucuses raised concerns about the deal on the table, but couldn't be squeezed into Huntsman's schedule.

The governor's legislative liaison, Mike Mower, said the issue will be taken up by a committee assembled by the House and the Senate to work with the executive branch to review the proposed settlement.

Mower said he anticipates the group will begin meeting shortly. "We're anxious to review this important matter and move forward," he said. Both Curtis and Valentine have already named legislators to serve on the committee.

The senators named to the new committee are: Majority Whip Dan Eastman, R-Bountiful; Mike Waddoups, R-Taylorsville; Sheldon Killpack, R-Syracuse; and Ed Mayne, D-West Valley City.

The House members are all Republicans: Dave Clark from Santa Clara; Dave Ure from Kamas; John Dougall from American Fork; Stewart Adams from Layton; Roger Barrus from Centerville; and Brad Dee from Ogden.

The settlement is intended to end the state's ongoing legal battle with the Sierra Club and other organizations, including Utahns for Better Transportation. They have been in talks with UDOT since January.

The Sierra Club and UDOT have declined to comment on the details of the proposal, citing the ongoing negotiations.

Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson, who was part of the original lawsuit, agreed in 2003 to stay out of any further Legacy litigation in exchange for Davis County lawmakers agreeing to free up $2.4 million for the city.

Initial construction on the Legacy project was halted by a 2001 lawsuit. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver requested a supplemental environmental study on the highway. The state is reviewing and responding to public comments from a draft of that study.

Construction could begin as early as next year, pending a court review of the final supplemental environmental study. A final copy of the study is expected to be released by UDOT this fall.

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