Like a man armed with a "pocketknife at a gunfight," West Valley officials fended off a mob of angry citizens, organized Tuesday to discuss rumors that a proposed highway will obliterate nearly 100 homes there.
"I doubt if this road is ever going to be built," said City Manager John Paterson. "If this road is . . . built, it won't be in my lifetime."Paterson fielded jabs from a group that overflowed the 200 chairs set up in the Whittier Elementary School gymnasium.
"Nothing has been done without you," he said. "Nothing has been decided."
As a whole, the group appeared not to believe Paterson. Even when West Valley Mayor Brent Anderson came forward from his seat in the audience and reaffirmed Paterson's statements, the group remained skeptical. Many said that city leaders had kept them in the dark and that they organized on their own to display displeasure with the proceedings.
The hubbub was prompted by rumors that an expanded highway will replace 5600 West to form a new intercity route. Citizens said they favor expanding the existing road but rejected talk of creating an urban highway west of the existing route.
The proposals range from simply widening the existing road to rerouting it through subdivisions. "Federal law requires us to look at all feasible alternatives and some affect more homes than others," said UDOT spokesman Kim Morris, noting that alignments affecting the fewest homes are usually the most economical.
"But to have all this emotion thrown out is premature and misguided."
The Utah Department of Transportation is 10 months into an Environmental Impact Study regarding construction of a highway or expansion of the existing road, Paterson said. As part of the EIS process, a public scoping meeting is set for May 13 in West Valley City. A similar meeting was held at the beginning of the study some 10 months ago, he said.
The proposed project is supported by the Wasatch Front Regional Council, Anderson said.
Expanding 5600 West has been on UDOT's master plan for years, Morris said. But he explained that at this stage only alternatives are being identified and nothing has been decided.
"It could be years before we turn any dirt on this. There is no construction timetable. This is to identify a route and corridor so as land becomes available we can purchase it," Morris said.
West Valley leaders said they were surprised by the ad hoc meeting Tuesday and said they knew little more than the citizens themselves. Paterson, Anderson and deputy city engineer Trace Robinson described three highway options, set for presentation at the May 13 open house with the UDOT.
The details of the options were sketchy and without specifics. That will come from UDOT, the men said.
"All of us are on the same side," Anderson said. Yet, his comments were met with a loud groan from the audience.
"It riled us all up because we haven't been notified," said resident Ann Fedderson, who believes a concrete sound wall will be constructed adjacent to her home as part of the project.
"We don't want our homes torn down," she said. "I don't want all the pollution and the noise."