Farmington Mayor Scott Harbertson says his city next month plans to reject a controversial bid by the Utah Department of Transportation to have the city amend its master plan so the agency can buy land for a Legacy Parkway connector road.

The possible rejection comes after the city heard a consultant's report this week saying UDOT did not sufficiently explain its "purpose and need" for the connector road. The consultant recommended the city take no action until the agency completes further studies.

The report was done by Draper-based WCEC Engineers and funded by Farmington city.

As the City Council and Planning Commission consider the UDOT's proposal, "how can we go along with this when we don't know the benefits?" Harbertson said in an interview Thursday.

For at least a year, residents of Farmington have fought against plans for the connector road. Hundreds have spoken at public hearings and said they fear their property values will be impacted by connector. As many as a dozen homes could be demolished as result of the road.

Like the Legacy Parkway, a 14-mile highway under construction from North Salt Lake to Farmington, the connector road would be built atop several wetlands. The connector road is planned to link the Legacy Parkway with a proposed northern extension of the highway known as Legacy North, somewhere near the border of Kaysville.

UDOT was asked by Davis and Weber county lawmakers to study where a possible connector should go and then buy land so the route for the road would be preserved into the future.

Cory Pope, director of UDOT region 1, said Thursday that it would take a minimum of two years to complete further study of the connector, and during that time, developers could build more homes along the route for the road.

"The development will continue if we don't do something active to preserve the corridor, and there's a good chance that in the future — even if there are 100 to 150 homes in the area — we could still determine that corridor to be the preferred alternative for the connection road," he said. "If that's the case, it's a shame that many more impacts could happen to residents."

UDOT would not need city approval to take properties in the future. The agency has eminent domain power that supersedes any city regulation.

Jason Snow, a west Farmington resident, lives near the proposed route for the connector. He said Thursday that it would be "good news" if the city rejected UDOT's request to amend the master plan, but he also believes UDOT could still buy properties from homeowners, regardless of whether Farmington rejected the agency's request.

"I don't feel safe," Snow said. "This is just one more battle won, but it prolongs it, in a way."

A hearing on the connector road is scheduled next week in front of the Farmington Planning Commission. City Council members are expected to debate the issue in early October.

To view a copy of the Farmington consultant's report, visit www

.farmington.utah.gov.

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E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com