New gym is possible

HIGHLAND — Lone Peak High School could get a new gym and more parking even if plans for a tri-city recreation center— proposed to be built adjacent to the school — fall through.

Highland City Administrator Barry Edwards said the city might make an agreement with the Alpine School District to participate in the construction of a new gym at the high school if a recreation center is not approved.

Highland's City Council will discuss the proposed agreement at a regularly scheduled meeting today at 7 p.m. at 5378 W. 10400 North.

Alpine School District Superintendent Vern Henshaw said Highland owns land behind Lone Peak High School, 10189 N. 4800 West. That area has been tagged as a location for a potential Lone Peak Recreation District, which would service Highland, Alpine and Cedar Hills.

"What our goal is, eventually, is to find out what people want," said Konrad Hildebrandt, city manager for Cedar Hills. The city is preparing a survey to get public feedback on interest in the recreation district.

"If the feasibility study comes back and nobody wants anything, we stop there," Hildebrandt said.

During meetings with officials from the school district, city officials from the three cities have discussed developing a recreation center.

"It's something that has been more seriously discussed in the last 3-4 months," Henshaw said.

No agreement among the cities and school district has been made, Henshaw said.

However, the cities must decide whether they want a recreation center soon because the school district has plans for Lone Peak High School, which it projects will swell to 2,500 students by 2010.

"That's something that has to be finalized in the next 10-12 months," Henshaw said.

The high school is built for 2,000 students, and its current enrollment is 1,975 students, Sam Jarman, the district's administrator over high schools, said at a recent meeting with Alpine residents.

The school district hopes the public will approve a $230 million bond issuance in November. With the money, the district could add a gym, weight-lifting and exercise rooms and portable classrooms at Lone Peak.

Jarman recently showed the Highland residents a rendition of the proposed Lone Peak Recreation District recreation center. The rendition showed a gym, pool, two soccer fields and parking spaces that the high school students could use, he said.

"It's similar to projects we've done in Orem," Alpine district business administrator Rob Smith said, referring to the Orem recreation complex behind Mountain View High School.