Utah Valley State College's master plan is literally being re-formed by the dramatic growth and demand for services that's expected to stay high at least into the next century.
Those changes include pushing for immediate improvements in the internal traffic flow with a three-lane road around the campus periphery, underground access from the freeway 1200 South exit, eventually a two-story parking terrace on the north end of campus and the construction of new buildings for burgeoning programs.A technology building combining the Mountainlands Applied Technologies program and computer technology programs already on campus is at the top of the list for buildings, while facilities for the college's dance, music and fine arts programs will have to wait.
Programs currently housed at UVSC's Provo campus have to move, starting with the fire science program, which has to vacate its space by next fall to make room for Brigham Young University's overflow. (UVSC sold the Provo campus this summer, and plans to lease space in the old Signetics facility in Orem fell through.) "We had 10,400 on-campus students last year, 11,400 this year. With a 6 percent growth rate - which is low - we'll see 30,000 students by 2010," said Dick Chappell, vice president of administrative services and planning for the college.
Chappell and co-worker Patrick Hayes spoke to a small audience gathered last week for a campus master plan public hearing.
Both men said the next changes coming to the campus are being forced somewhat ahead of schedule because of rapidly increasing enrollment.
Traffic concerns are coming ahead of buildings, for instance.
"We're really fortunate to have a fairly new campus. We're now at 1 million square feet," said Chappell. "But even so, we have renovations and things we must do to keep the campus up-to-date. We've just finished remodeling the business building and have a $1 million project on line to renovate the trades building."
And priorities change as the numbers go up, he said.
"We have a priority in seeing that we get people off the freeway and out again," he said. "We're working with the Department of Transportation on that along with Orem city and the citizenry."
Hayes explained that modifications to the freeway exit coming in to campus from the south end of the county allow for two right-hand turn lanes, but those are not both usable until a signal light is put in.
He said Orem city engineers propose elevating the roadway off the exit a few feet to allow for a tunnel under the road, providing free-flow access into the college campus.
"They've (UDOT officials) agreed to look at going under that road," he said.
On the northern end of campus, UDOT is looking at adding a merge lane from 1200 West onto the freeway going north, providing an easier way out, too.
Chappell said it's essential to make adjustments inside the campus at the same time that UDOT and the Utah Legislature is asked for more road funds to prove the college is doing all it can to relieve the pressure on the community.
Hayes "guesstimated" widening College Drive to three lanes would take about a half million dollars and it ideally should be rebuilt before the Special Events Center comes on line in November 1995. College officials are counting on legislative support promised by Rep. Norm Nielsen and Sen. Le-Ray McAllister, both R-Orem, to get the funds for that effort.
A wider College Drive will make it possible for Utah Transit Authority buses to circulate on the campus, too, said Hayes.