Syracuse officially leaves planning co-op

SYRACUSE — The Syracuse City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to leave a planning cooperative made up of Syracuse, Clearfield and West Point.

The Davis Technology and Economic Cooperative, or DTEC, was a first-of-its-kind planning cooperative designed to mutually plan for the eventual development of 1,000 acres of farmland contiguous to the three cities.

City leaders in the three cities expected to master-plan the area to lure high-paying jobs in the light-industrial sector, as well as create a technology and business park. Such jobs were envisioned to reduce the commute time for area residents and increase the commercial tax base.

During a Sept. 23 Syracuse City Council meeting, Mayor Fred Panucci said the city's involvement in DTEC caused such a fervor among residents that city staff members were spending an inordinate amount of time defending DTEC to the public.

Syracuse is one of the fastest-growing cities in Davis County, and staff members need to focus on that growth right now, he said.

The move to leave the cooperative leaves the other two cities — Clearfield and West Point — trying to regroup and figure out where to go. The frustrating thing, said Clearfield Mayor Don Wood, is that DTEC planning had barely begun.

A map of the area is basically as far as planning had gotten, said Syracuse community development director G.J. LaBonty.

A resolution passed by the Syracuse Council Tuesday states the city expects to coordinate transportation, land use and development planning with neighboring cities along 200 South.

Though now, the three entities will likely form their own separate economic development areas, known as EDAs, which can be used as an incentive for new businesses.

Originally, a single EDA, administered by the three cities, would have developed a project plan for DTEC.

Syracuse's portion of DTEC was the largest, at 549 acres. Clearfield's portion is 257 acres, and West Point has 215 acres.

---

E-mail: jdougherty@desnews.com