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Big boom in Utah 'burbs
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SaltLake's population | 11:36 p.m. June 30, 2009
I think the population of Salt Lake City never rises above 200,000 because you
keep getting parts of the area that incorporate into their own townships. For
example, there is absolutely no way to deliniate between Salt Lake, West Valley,
South Jordan, Sandy, etc. yet they area ll listed separately here. If you say
L.A., it generaly incluses a lot of greater L.A., so actually Greater Salt Lake
has increased significantly, just not the Salt Lake on paper census, meaning the
actual people who physically live inside the Salt Lake area.
good growth | 11:38 p.m. June 30, 2009
I 100% agree with you on your evaluation of Eagle Mountain and Saratoga Springs.
I agree for the reasons you mentioned, and then also because building towns in a
water-hungry area like that and then wanting them to grow is just going to
create a lot more water and einvironmental impact issues. The reason the rest of
the wasatch front can handle a fair measure of growth is because it is stuck
between the mountains and the lakes and get water from non-well sources, or from
wells that have a substantial ability to renew themselves. If you start pulling
water off the wells on the west side of Utah Lake too quickly, you will run out
of water and find that you can't drill deep enough to reach the low water
table. And then you end up not being able to support such a large population.
Las Vegas is really going to have major issues in the future and Utah needs to
recognize that and stay ahead in terms of low-impact housing, which the house in
this picture certainly does nto represent.
Comments continue below
Xerascape ordinances | 11:42 p.m. June 30, 2009
That massive house there is such a waste of space and resources. These small
communities that want to grow big should be required to do so in a resource
friendly way. For example, Utah should set certain areas of the state that are
in fragile environments (as in they dont' have enough water, they are close
to wilderness areas, they don't have an easy way to get rid of their waste,
etc.) and restrict growth to be eco-friendly. You can do simple things, such as
require that a new house have no positive draw on the power grid (in other
words, force them to include thermal heating, solar pnels, wind turbines, or
whatever), thus decreasing their overall impact. Anyone who is building a house
that massive is bound to have the money to better equip it. Alos, look at that
green lawn, adn then look at the brown mountains out there west of Utah lake and
tell me that they are not goign to have problems with 200,000 green-lawned
houses. That is the most preposterous American pasttime to hold on to in the
west. Forcethem to xerascape with natural vegetation adn then provide a city
park.
Excellent ideas | 11:46 p.m. June 30, 2009
It is nice to see that some other people have some great ideas. I really wish we
could find more people in our state and municipal governments who would accewpt
someo f these ideas. In the long run, forcing homeowners to equip their houses
with some relatively inexpensive equipment ($20,000 in a $300,000 house is
nothing) will make a huge difference in future growth. It is just so smart to do
so and yet everyone talks about how that restricts their rights to do as they
please. Wwll, wait until you don't have drinking water. They shuld set into
law some kind of mandate that these comuniciteis have recycling centers for
storm water and municipal waste water like they are starting to do in L.A. and
other large water-hungry ities. Why not do it now when it is easier to mandate
before anything is built then forcing them to do it later after everything is
built?
Waterless Lawns | 12:13 a.m. July 1, 2009
There are products, although not inexpensive, that look exactly like lawns, feel
a great deal like lawn when walking on it with bare feet and require absolutely
NO WATER. It doesn't require asphalt basing to install it either, which
would keep the heat reflection and keep the artificial grass cooler. One could
also landscape part of the yard that way in a mini puting green.
brandino | 12:48 a.m. July 1, 2009
I think the comments about water issues are pretty good. These kinds of
towns/developments are so irresponsible. There needs to be legislation that
places some control on this.
Throwing Stones | 1:06 a.m. July 1, 2009
I assume that all who are posting and decrying the new homes that will use water
for landscaping, etc. are living in homes that do not have lawns, that use solar
panels, are carbon neutral, etc. Hope you don't fall off that high horse
you're on, the landing could be rough.
Perfect place for houses | 1:15 a.m. July 1, 2009
I believe that Eagle Mountain is perfect for houses. There was no real value to
the land before, not much farming going on there, just a dry ridge. I used to
hunt in the area, pretty boring stuff. The biggest crime is putting houses on
prime farm land in the valleys. I cringe each time a piece of farmland or an
orchard is torn down for the sake of growth. Put all the houses on unfarmable
land, leave the good land to produce for the people!
Anonymous | 1:53 a.m. July 1, 2009
If Utah had a great climate that supported orange and palm trees it would look
just like LA. Real progress. You even have our gangs and drug problems too.
You've gone a long way Utah. Excuse me for not being impressed.
Throwing Stones said | 2:32 a.m. July 1, 2009
Throwingstones said "I assume that all who are posting and decrying the new
homes that will use water for landscaping, etc. are living in homes that do not
have lawns, that use solar panels, are carbon neutral, etc."
So your logic is; "don't make anybody do it on new housing until every last existing household does it!" Wow! That is really progressive. The world will quickly improve with your logic.
Second of all, if ou read the above comments, they mention in several places that those particular cities(eagle Mountain and Saratoga Springs) and other like cities are in desert or near-desert locations and can't support the development in the future. If you live in an area with plenty of non-carbon using power sources and with a lot of water, by all means, don't restrict it. But those and most places in Utah are in very poor water situations.
Finally, yes, I do live in a 900 sq. foot apartment (by choice, even though my 70K salary could buy me one of those bi houses), I recycle,I use water-saving methods, I try and do all fo whatI said above. No grass here!
So your logic is; "don't make anybody do it on new housing until every last existing household does it!" Wow! That is really progressive. The world will quickly improve with your logic.
Second of all, if ou read the above comments, they mention in several places that those particular cities(eagle Mountain and Saratoga Springs) and other like cities are in desert or near-desert locations and can't support the development in the future. If you live in an area with plenty of non-carbon using power sources and with a lot of water, by all means, don't restrict it. But those and most places in Utah are in very poor water situations.
Finally, yes, I do live in a 900 sq. foot apartment (by choice, even though my 70K salary could buy me one of those bi houses), I recycle,I use water-saving methods, I try and do all fo whatI said above. No grass here!
Utah is desert!!! | 4:33 a.m. July 1, 2009
Utah is desert, tell me where does the valley have an abundance of water?
As for gas prices... live in a rural area anywhere eles in the country and you'll find others pay and pay big gas prices because they travel so far daily to work because they want to live in the country.... away from the city... Not everyone can or wants to live in the city for convience.
As for gas prices... live in a rural area anywhere eles in the country and you'll find others pay and pay big gas prices because they travel so far daily to work because they want to live in the country.... away from the city... Not everyone can or wants to live in the city for convience.
Bad news | 4:41 a.m. July 1, 2009
Growth in Utah and the rest of the nation has come to a screeching halt and
total economic collapse is just around the corner.
The biggest restriction to growth in Utah is our water resources and it befuddles me why our water resources departments haven't been screaming about excessive and unregulated growth that they can't support. Many cities forget that we are a desert climate where water is scarce. Cities force farmers out of business because they use too much water and land to grow our food. There is more to be made in taxing homes than feeding the people from farm lands.
Developers though wave money in front of the noses of city managers with lots of promises and money in tax revenues. Utah's economy is not so rosy and it can all come down faster than it went up and cities should not be making promises it cannot keep.
While this irresponsible development goes on we keep hearing cries to cut water use, gas use, and other uses of resources, just to sustain and put up more houses and businesses to strain our resources even more. Growth is killing us and our resources.
The biggest restriction to growth in Utah is our water resources and it befuddles me why our water resources departments haven't been screaming about excessive and unregulated growth that they can't support. Many cities forget that we are a desert climate where water is scarce. Cities force farmers out of business because they use too much water and land to grow our food. There is more to be made in taxing homes than feeding the people from farm lands.
Developers though wave money in front of the noses of city managers with lots of promises and money in tax revenues. Utah's economy is not so rosy and it can all come down faster than it went up and cities should not be making promises it cannot keep.
While this irresponsible development goes on we keep hearing cries to cut water use, gas use, and other uses of resources, just to sustain and put up more houses and businesses to strain our resources even more. Growth is killing us and our resources.
Some Kind of Thinking Needed | 6:48 a.m. July 1, 2009
The reality is there isn't enough water...and these communities think that
simply because they exist that they are going to build bridges across Utah lake
causing massive environmental,wildlife habitat and water quality concerns. They
have blindly created problems such as traffic bottlenecks because they had no
forsight to better look ahead, and then expect other Taxpayers to foot the bill
to resolve the problems that they created in the first place. Talk about
Disfunctional and total Lack of Responcive governing. Eagle Mountain and
Saratoga Springs will long be a pain in Utah and Salt Lake Counties butts. Just
what we need more urban Sprawl... More L.A. like blight with all the other anti
social problems that comes with it.
Bear Laker | 7:08 a.m. July 1, 2009
There are so many of you that think that the problems are the developing cities
problems to not use resources so you can continue to use resources the same as
you have in the past. If you are going to impose restrictions on them then they
should be imposed on all. Why don't all of you communists retrofit your
houses with all of the suggestions that you want to impose on others. It is
your civic duty to lead the way or shut up. Oh, by the way, I'm a
contractor and I'd love to do the work for you. I'm a equal
oportunity contractor. I work for anyone regardless of your political views or
stupid ideas.
Market Forces will Rule | 7:13 a.m. July 1, 2009
Unless we FORCE people, which is the way we're going, but not the way we
should be progressing. If we allow the market to operate efficiently without
excess government intervention, it will inevitably dictate what should occur
naturally. Forcing this or that is so wrong I don't know where to start.
Matt | 7:41 a.m. July 1, 2009
Although it is important to manage water and waste resources with areas of
strong population growth, keep in mind that in most areas only 7% of all water
use is from municipal (residential) users. Agriculture uses the most water
(around 60%) and should be the area of focus for water conservation considering
much of that water is wasted through evapo-transpiration. Why focus on trying
to drop total water usage in the municipal sector by a percent or two when we
can drop the total water usage by 10-15% from improving agriculture water
management? Some ways to lower water usage for agriculture include watering at
night and drip irrigation.
Anonymous | 7:54 a.m. July 1, 2009
Salt Lake County should be incorporated as one city. And for my hometown, it
has grown from about 5,000 to over 28,000. Amazing. But even more so it has
been eclipsed by smaller towns. Ah, progress. Actually, I was very happy
living in the area of 17th South and 21st East in SLC, close in but a nice
neighborhood. City living can be good, and McMansions are more of a burden than
they are worth.
Lawns | 7:59 a.m. July 1, 2009
Those green lawns sure look nice, but...
having a green lawn uses 10X the amount of water the ordinary household uses to live on (eating, drinking, showering, etc.)
Grass is used to stop erosion because it absorbes so much more water than any other plants species.
Ask a civil engineer why grass is planted along leavies and dikes.
BTW, I have a 3/4 acre lot, some in grass - but mostly landscaped using natural plants native to our area and enviroment.
having a green lawn uses 10X the amount of water the ordinary household uses to live on (eating, drinking, showering, etc.)
Grass is used to stop erosion because it absorbes so much more water than any other plants species.
Ask a civil engineer why grass is planted along leavies and dikes.
BTW, I have a 3/4 acre lot, some in grass - but mostly landscaped using natural plants native to our area and enviroment.
Evets | 8:12 a.m. July 1, 2009
I see the SLC liberal crowd still has enough time on it's hands to again be
critical of the Lake Mountain area. To a certain extent I have to agree with
"Throwing Stones". I really don't see much conservation going on
in SLC. I, on the other hand and many of my neighbors, have built conservation
into our homes. My solar thermal systems, various electircal conservation method
keep my energy comsumption down to minimum. Although I have a much larger yard
my lawn is probably smaller than the traditional city lawns and through water
conservation techniques I am sure I use much less water that most of the
"Protect the Enviroment gang". Oh for commuting...my car gets 45 MPG
and I take a UTA van to work. And I am not that unusual for an EM resident.
My Point is before you start making these statements about how much energy is wasted in the suburbs actually check it out. You guys remind me of Al Gore bemoaning global warming while fly around in his jet and living in his energy hog house. By the way, I didn't have to rip up an orchard to build.
My Point is before you start making these statements about how much energy is wasted in the suburbs actually check it out. You guys remind me of Al Gore bemoaning global warming while fly around in his jet and living in his energy hog house. By the way, I didn't have to rip up an orchard to build.
Realist | 8:25 a.m. July 1, 2009
Who wants to live in stinky SLC where they praise people like Jimmy Carter??
SLC doesn't need water as no one bathes except the animals in Hogle Zoo!
I demand a recount | 8:35 a.m. July 1, 2009
I wonder when the new count was taken? Is the data more than a year old? If so,
I demand a recount based on the fact that half the homes in Saratoga Springs,
Eagle Mountain, Herriman, etc. are in foreclosure. Most of the growth in these
new areas is the result of sub-prime lending. All those foreclosed peeps are
now living in the basements of their parents homes in the older areas. A
recount (constitutionally mandated in 2010) may reveal some interesting
discrepancies with the info in this story.
Your Resources | 8:36 a.m. July 1, 2009
People should be free to do with their resources what they will. If they want
to pay for a big house and have a large green lawn, they should be able to
allocate their own resources for such. It's easy to say they are wasting
their resources when they aren't yours to begin with...
"There should be a law..." | 9:18 a.m. July 1, 2009
Xerascape ordinances are idiotic. Clueless people that always have the 1st
reaction of "the government should step in and..." are directly
responsible for the whole economic mess we’re in now. Let them build
their houses, and if the community runs out of water, fine. If not, good for
them. Let them take the risk and reap the reward or consequence. And keep the
incompetent government far away from it all.
Crazy liberals | 9:47 a.m. July 1, 2009
are right, we should all self-impose restrictions on how much gas we use (see al
gore) in our private planes, in our large homes, and in the water we
consume....after all the birds and plants, and little creatures have nobody else
but the wacko libs to stand up for them, come on everyone, let's go green.
Utah is not Rural | 10:08 a.m. July 1, 2009
Does anyone realize Utah is the 6th most Urban state in the entire country? 80
percent of our population resides along the narrow strip of land known as the
Wasatch Front, home to about 2.2 Million people.
The suburbs will be traps | 10:16 a.m. July 1, 2009
I would dread finding myself in any one of the ten listed
"communities" in the Mad Max future when you might have to go weeks at
a time before you can score some gasoline. Peak Oil is for real. Do not move
anywhere where periods of carlessness would be a catastrophe.
Wow!! | 10:21 a.m. July 1, 2009
Enjoy the wind and long commutes!!! Why are these towns so popular?
Justin | 10:38 a.m. July 1, 2009
Bad News said, "Growth is killing us." If we continue to have more
than two children per couple, growth is the result. Where do you propose
housing your children and mine? And should we ban moving trucks from all roads
entering Utah? One solution is to teach zero population growth in schools and
tax those who insist on having more than two children. I grew up in the 70s
and attended some of those classes. In 1978 I actually had a professor tell me
that within 20 years there would be mass starvation because of population growth
in excess of our ability to produce food. And not just in third world areas but
in developed countries. The doomsday scenario predicted in the 70s has not come
to pass. Remember the play "Saturdays Warrior"? Growth is killing
us? No. We're not dying. I don't even feel sick. Starvation in the
world today is the result of political woes, not because there is not enough
food produced in the world.
Some Kind of Thinking needed | 10:44 a.m. July 1, 2009
REF:Your Resources
Unless you have your own well then the water for that great big green lawn that you think so highly of is not your own resource...and even if you have your own well it's still deemed as coming from a public source..... that's why you had to pay for a permit to drill the well in the first place. The aquifer that you are drawing from is public domain...which is why people have the right to complain about the size of your big lawn and the amount of water that is being used to keep it green... Regardless of how much money you have... you have created a public nuisance so learn to live with the noise that it's created.
Unless you have your own well then the water for that great big green lawn that you think so highly of is not your own resource...and even if you have your own well it's still deemed as coming from a public source..... that's why you had to pay for a permit to drill the well in the first place. The aquifer that you are drawing from is public domain...which is why people have the right to complain about the size of your big lawn and the amount of water that is being used to keep it green... Regardless of how much money you have... you have created a public nuisance so learn to live with the noise that it's created.
Re: WOW | 10:45 a.m. July 1, 2009
I have to agree with you. Yes it is nice to live in a suburb, but is it worth
the commute, traffic, congestion, gas costs to drive to work ect... I would
take the Wasatch Front before living out there.
Some wacko conservative ideas | 10:47 a.m. July 1, 2009
To "Market Forces will Rule":
You purvey yourself as a smart economist with your market forces statement and all, but did you ever learn about what economic theory states will occur with "public resources" such as those we are talking about (such as water, forests, fishing waters, etc.)? They will be exploited to the very bitter end because everybody will try to beat everyone else out in using them. Economicsts state that one weakness of the markets is their inability to manage public resources! Go back to Econ 101! Water is a public resource and somoene needs to manage it. That someone is the government.
To "your resources":
Did anyone tell you how to allocate your resources, other than using them in a responsible way as to not infringe on everyone's right to public resources? Since when did the people in Eagle Mountain own the water table out there? That is a public resource and as such must be managed by someone other than the people building.
You purvey yourself as a smart economist with your market forces statement and all, but did you ever learn about what economic theory states will occur with "public resources" such as those we are talking about (such as water, forests, fishing waters, etc.)? They will be exploited to the very bitter end because everybody will try to beat everyone else out in using them. Economicsts state that one weakness of the markets is their inability to manage public resources! Go back to Econ 101! Water is a public resource and somoene needs to manage it. That someone is the government.
To "your resources":
Did anyone tell you how to allocate your resources, other than using them in a responsible way as to not infringe on everyone's right to public resources? Since when did the people in Eagle Mountain own the water table out there? That is a public resource and as such must be managed by someone other than the people building.
A little perspective | 10:51 a.m. July 1, 2009
Re Good Growth: You make it sound as if water is being pulled from wells in
west-side cities only. East-side cities are pulling water from wells at an even
faster pace. Most of Utah County's surface water is going to Salt Lake
County, which leaves a lot of deep wells pulling water for summer irrigation.
In fact, the geological survey reported huge water table drops on the east side
of northern Utah County which is why cities such as Pleasant Grove and American
Fork have been working quickly to install secondary water systems for reclaimed
water. Because the west-side cities of Eagle Mountain and Saratoga Springs are
relatively small, there is still plenty of ground water for use. Most of
Saratoga's wells are pulling water from east side aquifers while Eagle
Mountain is pulling from west-side aquifers in which Eagle Mountain would have
to build 70,000 homes in order to start depleting the aquifer faster than it is
being replenished. Also, Eagle Mountain has been buying water CUP water from
shares freed up by the now defunct Geneva Steel and a pipeline is currently
under construction from Orem.
Recount | 10:59 a.m. July 1, 2009
Hey Recount, a recount was just taken and the population was upped by 5,000 over
estimates. Nice try. There will be more in 2010. And, please enlighten
everyone with your Fact that 50% of the homes are in foreclosure. Fact in your
head or actual statistic? I live in EMC and I am neither subprime or in
foreclosure, and in my neighborhood of about 75 homes there are two (2) that are
foreclosed -- 2% by my calculation. How is your elegant neighborhood doing?
I'm off to over-water my lawn now ...
I'm off to over-water my lawn now ...
Perspective is the problem | 11:04 a.m. July 1, 2009
It makes me laugh to hear some of these comments about EM and SS. It is too
windy! It is too far away! I've lived or worked in various cities in Utah
County and here is my assessment: Highland is very windy, in fact more windy
than EM or SS because of the that fantastic breeze that hang-gliders like to
catch at point of the mountain. I work at a delivery service on the border of AF
and Highland. It takes me just as long to make a delivery from my home base to
the Ranches in Eagle Mountain as it does to North Orem in the bench
neighborhoods. There are some locations in Alpine that take 15 minutes to reach
the freeway which is the same for the Ranches in EM to I-15 in Lehi. If you use
a ruler or compass on a map, you will find that EM and SS are in good locations
for access to both SL and Utah County locations. The problem has been the
crowded roads but with the widening of Redwood and the new Pioneer Crossing,
that problem is coming to an end.
Anonymous | 11:06 a.m. July 1, 2009
"Market Forces will Rule" said, at 7:13 a.m.:
"Unless we FORCE people, which is the way we're going, but not the way we should be progressing. If we allow the market to operate efficiently without excess government intervention, it will inevitably dictate what should occur naturally. Forcing this or that is so wrong I don't know where to start."
What the poster fails to recognize is that in a "community," many folks are impacted besides the developer and the folks who buy new houses. Community resources are stretched thinner. Closer-in folks see heavier traffic on their roads. They, too, have a dog in the fight and every justification to try to protect their interests.
Is that "force"? Nope, it's just the give and take that any growing area deals with.
(That said, IMO it's extremely short-sighted to buy your "little bit of heaven" if it's miles and miles from everywhere you have to be 'most every day.)
"Unless we FORCE people, which is the way we're going, but not the way we should be progressing. If we allow the market to operate efficiently without excess government intervention, it will inevitably dictate what should occur naturally. Forcing this or that is so wrong I don't know where to start."
What the poster fails to recognize is that in a "community," many folks are impacted besides the developer and the folks who buy new houses. Community resources are stretched thinner. Closer-in folks see heavier traffic on their roads. They, too, have a dog in the fight and every justification to try to protect their interests.
Is that "force"? Nope, it's just the give and take that any growing area deals with.
(That said, IMO it's extremely short-sighted to buy your "little bit of heaven" if it's miles and miles from everywhere you have to be 'most every day.)
Water | 11:15 a.m. July 1, 2009
--The water table in Cedar Valley is not terribly deep, and the water out there
is actually much better than what Saratoga's got (minus what Saratoga pulls
down near the Jordan River).
--Utah is Urban, but only because the Federal Govt owns so much of Utah. Cram this many people onto the small amount of private land and you get higher density.
--Kudos to Lehi for keeping a semblance of its small town past in the midst of a close to 50k population. Those who live there that are interested in community turned out for another successful Roundup Week last week.
--Utah is Urban, but only because the Federal Govt owns so much of Utah. Cram this many people onto the small amount of private land and you get higher density.
--Kudos to Lehi for keeping a semblance of its small town past in the midst of a close to 50k population. Those who live there that are interested in community turned out for another successful Roundup Week last week.
Hypocrisy abounds | 11:16 a.m. July 1, 2009
Another selfish, hypocritical set of comments that Utah is so well-know for:
The water comments are good but seem to be one-sided. All cities in Utah need to
curb their water use, not just new cities. In fact, the newer cities in EM and
SS are already using much less water per household than some of their more
established neighbors because of much smaller lot sizes. That makes a huge
difference. Also, these newer cities have newer water delivery systems which
means less leakage. It is rumored that SLC's water system leaks more water
than what is delivered to residents. The comments about the brown mountain in
the photograph was funny. There was also a big blue lake in the picture that
went unnoticed. I've seen pictures of SLC with a big brown mountain in the
background, but nobody is calling for SLC to conserve water, build eco-friendly
homes, etc. To me, these comments are selfish. All the west-side homes need to
conserve water and build solar panels while the east-side homes can continue
wasting water and energy.
To I Demand a Recount | 11:18 a.m. July 1, 2009
I agree, we moved to Riverton/Herriman area before the boom. We were trying to
move to an area that had a small town feel. (I grew up in one.) anyway. Herriman
became a city and Rose Crest was built on the hill behind us and Monarch Meadows
in front.The growth in area was shocking we thought it would take 10-20 years
for the area to grow the way it did in five. Homes were $400,000 - 2,000,000 it
was nuts then came the collaspe and now we have vacant homes every where. There
are 4 homes on the street I live on that are vacant and they were built before
the boom. Behind us and to the west of us there are tons of vacant homes and
incomplete developments. Construction has come almost to a complete stand still
other than where they are building Herriman's new town center. Town Homes
and Apartments only,we still need the devlopers monies plus they are throwing
the city hall I believe so I guess it works. It would be interesting to see a
recount of the area and see if the down turn had an effect
To: Some Wacko | 11:32 a.m. July 1, 2009
Did anyone tell YOU that the water is managed. EM city, or any other city, can
not just take what they want in water. They must get permits/permission for a
certain amount of water from a state/regional water agency. Without those
permits they can not issue building permits.
To those that questioned our reasoning for living out in SS/EM area: Come look at our veiws, the peaceful living away from the "rat race". Every time we have a new visitor to the area they always comment on how nice it is out here. If you haven't visited the Lake Mountain area come see it first hand before you make negative comments. As for the commute times....I find it takes me no longer to go to work in SLC than from many places in the SL Valley (with the exception of the current road construction delays). Once the new roads are finished we will have some pretty straight shots for I-15. Additionally a bunch of us take communter vans anyway which means we almost never drive.
To those that questioned our reasoning for living out in SS/EM area: Come look at our veiws, the peaceful living away from the "rat race". Every time we have a new visitor to the area they always comment on how nice it is out here. If you haven't visited the Lake Mountain area come see it first hand before you make negative comments. As for the commute times....I find it takes me no longer to go to work in SLC than from many places in the SL Valley (with the exception of the current road construction delays). Once the new roads are finished we will have some pretty straight shots for I-15. Additionally a bunch of us take communter vans anyway which means we almost never drive.
Re Wow: | 11:34 a.m. July 1, 2009
So what is your definition of the Wasatch Front? Saratoga Springs and most of EM
are on the Wasatch Front. The Wasatch Front is 80 miles long. You are saying
that it is not okay for people to live in Eagle Mountain or Saratoga Springs and
commute 45 minutes to Salt Lake City, but it is okay to live in Provo and
commute the 50 minutes to SLC? How about just living close to where you work in
the hopes your job doesn't move locations. I live in the Ranches in Eagle
Mountain and it takes me 20 minutes to drive to work in American Fork (time
should be cut by 5 minutes with the new highway). It actually took me longer to
commute from my old home in Orem to my work American Fork than it does now. It
takes me 45 minutes to get the airport in SLC, it takes 25 minutes to get to
South Towne in Sandy. I can see Mt. Timp and Utah Lake from my house. I'm
not sure how far west you need to go before the Wasatch Front ends, but by your
definition Riverton, W. Jordan, etc are not.
Re I demand a recount: | 11:40 a.m. July 1, 2009
I agree that newer areas with newer homes have a higher rate of foreclosure, but
your assessment of half the homes sitting empty is absurd. I live in the
Ranches in Eagle Mountain and bike daily. While there are a few empty homes,
the vast majority are filled with residents. I was visiting friends in Alpine
and biking there, and I saw more empty homes in that city than I see in Eagle
Mountain. Perhaps you need to get your facts straight.
joanne | 11:42 a.m. July 1, 2009
last time I was out there...the mosquitoes were horrible. We got covered in them
and several came into the car and bit us all the way home. Hopefully,
that's not such a problem for these developments but it sure kept me out of
the area.
Peak Oil | 11:54 a.m. July 1, 2009
Re The Suburbs will be traps: If oil gets to that point, then everything will
shut down including the job you live right next to. Our society and economy is
based on mobility and living right next to your job isn't going to make
much difference if things get that dire. When oil reached $4.00 a gallon it not
only hurt those living in suburbs but had a more reaching effect by killing the
very jobs we live next to and resulted in a more severe recession. Every major
recession since the 1970's have resulted from a run-up in energy prices.
This recession is no different. As far as peak oil is concerned, cramming 2
million people into Salt Lake City isn't going to make a difference when
the products we make and sell can't go anywhere either. This problem is
systemic and living in suburbs or city centers isn't going to make much
difference in the end. I do have long-term hope though because necessity is the
mother of invention.
Re joanne: | 11:59 a.m. July 1, 2009
Mosquitoes are bad in areas by the lake such as West Provo, West Orem, West
Lehi, West AF, and parts of Saratoga that are close to the lake. Eagle Mountain
is a few miles from the lake, so the mosquito problem there is much less.
To To Some Wacko: | 12:12 p.m. July 1, 2009
By reading some of these silly comments on this forum, I'm beginning to
realize that lacking major geography skills combined with a know-it-all
mentality makes for a humorous afternoon. The fact that some people think that
a city can take as much water as it wants is absurd. Are people really this
stupid or are they just junior high kids trying to mix it up on the forum. One
person said that EM and SS are not part of the Wasatch Front. I wonder if they
consider West Valley City, or West Jordan part of the Wasatch Front since they
are just as far from the East Bench as Eagle Mountain and Saratoga Springs are
from the East Bench. I think people are afraid of growth because they might have
to sacrifice some of their water or tax dollars (even though west side residents
pay the same taxes). My advice to those prejudiced against west-side people
(your sons and daughters): If you don't want growth in Utah (which would
kill our economy), then quit having so many babies and the desire to have your
children live in a nearby area.
Re: WOW | 12:34 p.m. July 1, 2009
When I say the Wasatch Front. I am talking about the communities close to the
Wasatch Fault line. Yes Riverton, WVC ect.... are on the Wasatch Front but I
tend to think of Eagle Mountain and Saratoga Springs to not be. It's west
of Utah Lake and against Lake Mountain. It's also not near I-15, I-80,
I-215 unlike most communities along the Wasatch Front. I know it's a nice
area to live in, I have been out that way.
But kudos to Utah for the growth. That's a good thing for the state.
But kudos to Utah for the growth. That's a good thing for the state.
Left the area, not sad. | 2:32 p.m. July 1, 2009
Our family moved to the west Lehi area in 1994. We left it about a year ago for
a truly rural one. In those 13 years we saw it change from a wonderful rural
area to the middle of a "wannabe" big city. We saw first-hand how
"nice" it was to have a city come in and take over. ("We're
changing the rules now, but don't worry, you're going to like it!) We
saw unethical annexations take place, lots of mean-spirited happenings at
"town council" meetings and lots of "superior" attitudes
among the new residents. (Our new subdivision is better than that other new
one.)
Believe it or not though, the majority of the new residents were wonderful friends and neighbors. They had to deal with all these issues too. (Many of the original "settlers" came so they could be in a rural setting.)
Growth is hard. For those that must live in the midst of it I hope things work out peacefully and to your satisfaction.
Believe it or not though, the majority of the new residents were wonderful friends and neighbors. They had to deal with all these issues too. (Many of the original "settlers" came so they could be in a rural setting.)
Growth is hard. For those that must live in the midst of it I hope things work out peacefully and to your satisfaction.
Waterwise | 2:36 p.m. July 1, 2009
Regardless of where you live in Utah, our landscapes consume half of the
state's water supply. We can all become a lot more water wise!
Water should be priced so that the biggest consumers pay much higher rates.
Water should be priced so that the biggest consumers pay much higher rates.
A_Chinese_American | 3:12 p.m. July 1, 2009
TO: "Throwing Stones said | 2:32 a.m. July 1, 2009",
By your logical, Most part of South California and Most part of Nevada should be destroyed already! Right? What's a shame!
By your logical, Most part of South California and Most part of Nevada should be destroyed already! Right? What's a shame!
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Lauren Lane in Saratoga Springs, the western edge of town continues to grow. Most residents commute to either the Provo-Orem or Salt Lake metro area for work.
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I would like to meet the 200,000 crazy people who want to live in Eagle Mountain. The place does not have enough water, and when gasoline prices hit and stay at 10 dollars a gallon, only the crazy will want to live out in the middle of highly dry, highly expensive nowhere.