KAYSVILLE — More than 150 Kaysville residents made a lot of noise at a recent City Council meeting, showing they want the Utah Department of Transportation to reconsider a decision not to install a sound wall along the east side of I-15 between Shepard and Burton lanes.

The residents had gathered 641 signatures from people in the area and did their own sound wall study to show the area already has enough noise coming from the freeway to meet federal regulations for a sound wall.

With the support of the City Council, the residents formed a committee that met last Tuesday at Ponds Park South, 50 W. Burton Lane, to further discuss the issue.

UDOT is making final plans to expand I-15 by one lane in each direction starting next spring, and residents said there is an urgency to have the sound wall included or face years of delay in its installation.

"It's vital to our quality of life," Lana Minnick, a spokeswoman for the residents, told the council. "We are in an endangered time crunch to get this through (UDOT)."

Richard L. Lenz, a sound wall engineer with 25 years experience, did his own study of decibel levels in the area. He tested every residence while the UDOT study only did a sampling.

He said he tested noise at non-peak freeway hours, so as not to skew the study, and still found 51 locations that meet the criteria for a sound wall along the mile stretch of I-15.

"The noise will be worse from the expanded freeway," he said.

Lenz estimates that noise levels in the area are at least three decibel levels higher during rush hours now and that they will increase about two decibel levels or more once the freeway is widened.

"We want to build this wall, if we can meet the criteria," Andy Neff, UDOT spokesman, said.

He said that in his seven years with UDOT, no group has been as passionate about a cause as this group of Kaysville residents.

"UDOT takes public input seriously," he said.

Minnick said she's not sure why UDOT eliminated the sound wall from its plan, and she'd like to see its original study. However, she stressed that residents had always expected it would be built when I-15 was widened.

Neff said UDOT's original sound wall study has some serious discrepancies. However, since the residents have not had a chance to see that study, he said UDOT would work to get it in their hands as soon as possible.

UDOT officials said they plan to do additional noise measurements in the area.

The citizens group sees the sound wall as a win-win situation since it would require no Kaysville city money. All of the approximately $1 million would be from federal and state funds.

Councilman Gil Miller agreed to be a member of the sound wall committee, representing the City Council.

Kaysville residents on the west side of I-15 haven't been involved in the sound wall discussion. That side of the city is far less developed and will likely have to wait years after the freeway is widened for a possible sound wall when it meets the criteria.

Kaysville residents in the sound wall area who want to be involved in the effort to secure the wall can contact Minnick at 447-4398.

---

E-mail: lynn@desnews.com