Salt Lake County, Draper push prison move

DRAPER — City leaders and Salt Lake County Council members passed resolutions Tuesday asking the state to consider moving the 57-year-old state prison to make way for higher education facilities and commercial and residential development.

The county resolution passed 4-3, though council members largely agreed that the move wasn't likely to happen for years.

The city approved the resolution unanimously after changing the wording of one paragraph.

"This is a bold step for the city to take with the resolution, but I think its an appropriate step," said Draper Mayor Darrell Smith. "This creates healthy use of new ideas and shows the state that we're out there with that kind of vision ourselves."

"To me it's a little premature," Salt Lake Councilwoman Jenny Wilson said, a Democrat on the losing end of the vote. "I'm not wiling to lock in ... for something in my mind that won't happen for 25 years."

Smith said he could see the move occurring within five to 10 years.

Councilman Jeff Allen said the county needs to take the lead on the issue.

The more people talk about moving the prison, the faster property values in the area will continue to rise, Allen said.

"This is something that is regionally significant," Allen said. "It would be an enormous benefit to the health, welfare and public safety of generations to come. I would like to get that ball rolling."

The resolutions come just 27 months after a $140,000 study commissioned by the state found moving the facility would cost far too much.

However, the land may have appreciated considerably in the two-plus years since the study, said Draper spokeswoman Maridene Hancock. Residential development in the area has increased, and commercial development, including the opening of furniture-giant Ikea west of I-15, has exploded.

Moving the prison has been a hot topic for years. In fact, Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. discussed the issue in his gubernatorial campaign in 2004. The governor still contends that the prison will have to be moved eventually but said when the 2005 study was released that the issue may warrant another study in 15 years.

The Utah Department of Corrections, which runs the prison, hasn't taken a position on the resolutions passed Tuesday, said spokeswoman Angie Welling. However, if moving the prison were someday found to be economically feasible, the department would support the move.