Provo planners favor closing road segment

PROVO — The Provo City Planning Commission voted Wednesday night in favor of closing a portion of 600 West, paving the way for the city's school district to rebuild Timpanogos Elementary.

The Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend the street's closure between 400 and 500 North.

The mayor or a designee of the mayor will make the final decision on the street's closure at a future hearing. A date hasn't been determined.

If the mayor or designee approves vacating the street, then the school district can demolish the school and begin rebuilding on the expanded site. Demolition is tentatively scheduled for June, Provo School District administrator Greg Hudnall said Tuesday night.

Timpanogos Elementary School was built in 1892 and enlarged twice before 1938, when it was torn down and rebuilt on an adjacent lot, 449 N. 500 West.

Since then, the school has deteriorated. In June, residents approved a tax increase to allow the Provo School District to issue $35 million in bonds — with $11.3 million of that going toward the new Timpanogos Elementary.

"We have spent the last year in the process of purchasing all the homes on (600) West (between 400 and 500 North)," said Hudnall at the Planning Commission meeting. "We own all of them."

The five homes will be razed, and that portion of 600 West will be part of the new school's property.

"It'll be a three-story building, and we need all of the green space that we could get, and we want to make it a nice neighborhood park," Hudnall said.

Most of the houses had been purchased last summer. Two homeowners held out, and the school district began the process of eminent domain — purchasing the houses for fair-market value but forcing the owners out — in January.

One of the homeowners had told the Deseret Morning News he wanted $150,000 — even though Utah County records valued his house at $93,300.

In the end, he got his asking price. The school district closed with the two homeowners two weeks ago for $150,000 for each home.

The remaining residents in the neighborhood did not protest the school district's plans Tuesday night. Documents provided by the city showed they felt the new school will enhance the neighborhood.

"What a marvelous redevelopment project," said Planning Commissioner Roy Peterman.

The new school is expected to be complete in fall 2008.

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E-mail: lhancock@desnews.com