AMERICAN FORK — After coming to an agreement over proposed city border changes Wednesday, Lehi Mayor Ken Greenwood and American Fork Mayor Ted Barratt met again on Thursday morning to further discuss the agreement that will clear the way for Costco Wholesale Corp. to build a store in Lehi.
"We met (on Thursday morning) to dot some i's and cross some t's,' " Barratt told the Deseret Morning News. "I will be submitting a document to the (Costco) developer that indicates our agreement to the border changes and hopefully things will move forward."
After the topic was taken off the American Fork council meeting agenda Tuesday night, the mayors met Wednesday afternoon and reached a tentative agreement that resolved the border change issue.
Verification of property, legalities, and the issue of reimbursement for road improvements already done by American Fork were also discussed by the mayors at Thursday morning's meeting.
One of the main concerns for American Fork officials has been the sharing of financial burden for road renovations already made by American Fork, including railroad crossing repairs and the installation of traffic lights near The Meadows, a 140-acre shopping center located near the proposed Costco site.
"We've had issues over the road improvements, but Lehi is not in a position to accommodate our request for reimbursement," Barratt said. "We're both giving up some things in order to gain others."
City councils from both cities have yet to review the agreement because documentation has yet to be produced. "Basically, we're working on a handshake right now," Barratt said.
At the heart of the issue was the construction of a Costco warehouse store in Lehi that would have had a parking lot that was partly in American Fork. Costco did not want to develop property that straddles two cities. Store officials said the boundary dispute must be resolved by the two cities by Feb. 1 or it would build in another city.
Lehi officials were seeking a non-firm city boundary change until the completion of the construction project after which the two cities will solidify the city boundaries.
Barratt said that as a result of Thursday's meeting, the two cities will instead make firm boundary changes that will meet Costco's requirements.
If Costco plans move forward, the wholesale giant will build a 140,000-square-foot warehouse store on the 40-acre plot of land west of 900 West in American Fork and north of State Street in Lehi. Lowe's has also expressed interest in developing on the same site.
In 1998, a border agreement was reached between the neighboring cities that created the current boundary conflict. That agreement will be redrafted as a result of the new accord.
No special meeting of the American Fork City Council, which is next scheduled to meet on Feb. 8, has been called to discuss or ratify the agreement.
Barratt expects the complete details of the agreement to be worked out within the next few days and then will be made public shortly thereafter.
E-mail: kmartinez@desnews.com