Davis County residents would be happy as clams if they got a community or junior college in their fast-growing midst - and they're pretty closely divided as to whether it should go in Farmington or Layton.
The Deseret News recently commissioned Dan Jones & Associates to poll Davis County residents about their feelings on a variety of issues. Pollsters conducted phone interviews with 400 residents. The results have a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percent.The Utah State Board of Regents recently delayed making any decisions about buying land in Davis County for a future land bank for higher education purposes.
Despite widespread talk in the county referring to a future "community college," the regents have been careful to refer to the proposed property buy as a "land bank." It would come primarily under the auspices of Weber State University but also would have offerings from other institutions of higher learning.
A Layton site was recommended by higher education staff, but after Rep. Marda Dillree, R-Farmington, made claims of bias by the site selection committee, the regents delayed any decisions until January after they have had a chance to physically visit the locations.
Whatever the higher education leaders call it, Davis County residents would be tickled to have some kind of two-year college in their area. Sixty-four percent said Davis County needs it, according to the poll.
As for location, 46 percent favored Farmington, while 44 percent preferred Layton.
Additionally, those people polled said that even if a new community college campus is built, the state should keep the current University of Utah extension located in the old Stoker School in Bountiful. Fifth-three percent of those polled wanted the Stoker School extension to stay in business, contrasted with 26 percent who said no.
These results come as no surprise to Lloyd Carr, who headed the Davis Higher Education Site Selection Committee.
"Anybody who has studied what has been happening in Davis County knows the need," Carr said, referring to the area's explosive growth, the keen interest in higher educational offerings already available in the county and the eagerness of many potential students to save money by living at home while attending school.
Carr also wasn't surprised by the strong support for the Bountiful extension.
"We'd like to see Bountiful expand. We have a great need in the south end right now (for more higher education)," Carr said. "We're very pleased by that (the support shown in the poll for the Bountiful extension) because we think that means there's been some great education there."
As far as the two-point difference between Farmington and Layton, Farmington Mayor Greg Bell was cheered that his community came first, even by a tiny margin. "I'm delighted the public sees the advantages that Farmington has. Let's hope the regents do," Bell said.
Meanwhile, Layton Mayor Jerry Stevenson said, "There seems to be an effort on someone's part to turn this into something other than just a good business decision," but he's confident the merits of the Layton property will speak for themselves and persuade the regents to pick that location.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Davis County poll
Do you feel that Davis County needs a community, or junior college?
DEFINITELY 27%
PROBABLY 37%
PROBABLY NOT 21%
DEFINITELY NOT 9%
DON'T KNOW 6%
If definitely or probably: Which of the locations being considered - Farmington or Layton - should be selected as the site for the college?
DEFINITELY FARMINGTON 21%
PROBABLY FARMINGTON 25%
DEFINITELY LAYTON 26%
PROBABLY LAYTON 18%
OTHER 4%
DON'T KNOW 5%
If a new community college campus is built, should the state keep the current U. of U. extension classroom - the old Stoker School - in Bountiful?
DEFINITELY KEEP IT 25%
PROBABLY KEEP IT 28%
PROBABLY NOT KEEP IT 18%
DEFINITELY NOT KEEP IT 8%
DON'T KNOW 20%
Poll conducted Dec. 5-10, 1994. Margin of error +/-5% on interviews of 400 registered voters. Conducted by Dan Jones & Associates. Copyright 1994 Deseret News. Dan Jones & Associates, an independent organization founded in 1980, polls for the Deseret News and KSL. Its clients include other organizations and some political candidates.