The redevelopment of land by the private sector often involves difficult challenges that vary widely in their nature. Challenges can include: local zoning regulations that may be overly burdensome, the long prospective timeframe of redevelopment; government regulations that may be difficult to navigate, real or perceived environmental contamination, legal challenges (i.e., land title fragmentation and the prospect of liability for past contamination), and hesitancy by the financial community to support infill and redevelopment projects. These challenges are complicated because each is under the purview of a different agency or actor in the development process.

However, land re-use brings growth to built up areas rather than encouraging spread of new development to the urban fringe. This utilizes existing infrastructure, places more jobs, housing and other destinations within a short driving or walking distance. Brownfield sites often have excellent access to public transportation facilities increasing opportunities for transit ridership. In addition, redevelopment can bring renewed vigor to communities.

Envision Utah with the assistance of local professionals, is currently producing a toolbox for state and local governments, developers, consultants, financiers, and insurers involved in the brownfield development process. This toolbox will have the ability to guide an individual who may be unfamiliar with the process step by step through a brownfield redevelopment. At the end of each section or topic, the user would be able to choose the next option as it applies to them. This will create a custom experience for each user and allow people to determine which portions are most useful based on their individual situation.

Wasatch Choices 2040 is a four-county land use and transportation collaboration between Wasatch Front Regional Council, Mountainland Association of Governments, and Envision Utah. This visioning process actively engaged the citizens and elected officials of the region. It examined implications of transportation and land-use alternatives on the region’s future and sought to formulate consensus on a shared vision of regional growth. The input and findings from this process have been utilized in the update of the formal long range Regional Transportation Plan adopted by Wasatch Front Regional Council and Mountainland Association of Governments.

The links below provide Information presented at public open house meetings held in July and August of 2005.

Envision Utah Staff Contact:
Gabe Epperson, Project Manager
Phone: 801-303-1453 e-mail: gabe@envisionutah.org

Envision Utah co-sponsored (along with the Utah Transit Authority, Wasatch Front Regional Council, Mountainland Association of Governments and the Utah Quality Growth Commission) an educational forum on October 16, 2007 entitled “Do Nothing or Do Something: A Practical Land-Use and Transportation Workshop Shaping the Future of the Wasatch Front.” The workshop promoted the growth principles and strategies from 2006’s Wasatch Choices 2040 process.

Dr. Hugo Rodier, Medical Director of the Pioneer Clinic, said that “we need to build cities on the human scale, not the automobile scale” in part due to negative health trends, including obesity and asthmas. John Inglish, General Manager of the Utah Transit Authority, said that “audacious infrastructure investments transform our economy,” and predicted that the nation is on the cusp of major public transportation investment.

Alan Matheson, Envision Utah’s Executive Director, reviewed the Wasatch Choices 2040 process, where 1000 citizens participated, and the growth strategies that came out of this effort:

• Develop a local land reuse strategy
• Provide incentives for contiguous growth and infill
• Preserve future transportation and utility corridors
• Create walkable commercial and mixed-use districts
• Plan for transit-oriented development
• Plan for and build neighborhood-friendly elementary schools
• Create a plan for housing people can afford
• Interconnect roadways and pedestrian paths
• Plan for job centers and economic development readiness
• Plan to minimize development and maximize conservation on and near critical lands

Workshop participants applied the growth strategies to five case studies and discussed opportunities to promote quality growth, such as growing political support, community acceptance, growing partnerships, and creative funding sources.

With other community partners, we will work with local municipalities on implementing the growth strategies and principles.

Local Government Economic Development Toolbox

On May 31, 2006, Envision Utah unveiled its new resource, “Brownfield Redevelopment Solutions,” to a full room in the Wells Fargo Building. Representatives from more than 20 municipalities participated. This toolbox expedites the redevelopment of contaminated properties without sacrificing environmental and land-use standards. To create this toolbox, Envision Utah brought together local public and private sector experts in various aspects of brownfield renewal, and this interaction helped each to better appreciate the intricacies of brownfield redevelopment and to streamline the process.

This toolbox guides the reader step-by-step through a typical brownfield redevelopment process, citing local examples and other beneficial resources. This toolbox serves as a resource not only for those new to brownfield redevelopment, but also as a reference for professionals with years of experience.

“We have a tremendous opportunity in the region as we look forward and solve enduring environmental problems,” said Dr. Dianne Nielsen, Executive Director of the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, who welcomed the attendees.

“This toolbox represents a major milestone in environmental programs,” said Brad Johnson, Director, Division of Environmental Response and Remediation. “It will help all of us to do our jobs and to efficiently reuse these brownfield sites. I commend Envision Utah for bringing all these parties together in the same room.”

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the American Express Center for Community Development provided funding for this new toolkit.

With many tracts of land contaminated from previous businesses, reusing a brownfield is like recovering a community’s hidden assets. Copies of the Brownfield Redevelopment Solutions toolbox can be found under the “Resources” section.

On February 22, 2006, Envision Utah introduced its new housing resource, Workforce Housing: Markets, Realities, Concerns and Solutions.

Utah’s demographics are undergoing dramatic changes that drive demand for a broader diversity of housing types than is now available, yet many communities are apprehensive about changes they perceive such housing may bring. Created with the help of a stakeholder committee of local housing experts, this resource includes research on:

• Utah’s changing housing market;
• Potential advantages and negative impacts of multi-family housing on property values, parking, traffic, congestion and crime;
• Public opinion and attitudes toward housing alternatives; and
• Model ordinances, innovative zoning strategies, and compatible design criteria.

The Workforce Housing toolkit has been funded by the American Express Center for Community Development, Chevron Texaco, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Foundation, Fannie Mae, Garbett Homes, Morgan Stanley Bank, the Olene Walker Housing Loan Fund, and Wells Fargo Bank.

The report is available under the “Resources” section.

Created with the assistance of local officials and economic development experts, the American Planning Association, and the firms of FutureWorks and ECONorthwest, the Envision Utah Municipal Economic Development Toolbox was unveiled on May 13, 2005. Over 100 people, including representatives from Utah’s United States Senators, one congressman, one state department, six counties, and 24 local municipalities attended the education forum.

The toolbox outlines action steps for cities to promote business growth and retention and quality office development through the local planning process. Because of financial pressures, municipalities often focus on residential and retail development – leaving research parks, manufacturing plans, warehouses and other valuable job sites on the backburner to develop haphazardly or not at all. This, in turn, hinders job growth and leads to employment concentration in fewer and more distant locations.

As a region, our challenge is to identify strategies that balance local autonomy and private property rights with the need for jobs which provide the economic foundation for our quality of life and community prosperity.

Copies can be found in the “Resources” section.

In 2003, Envision Utah sponsored two successful forums in Davis County, Understanding the 2002 U.S. Farm Bill and Understanding Transfer of Development Rights. Experts from the Natural Resources Councils Service (NRCS) discussed programs listed under the 2002 Farm Bill that were of special interest to owners of sensitive shore land areas, such as land preservation funding. Several property enhancement programs were also discussed. The program highlighted the fact that Utah farmers have missed out on millions of dollars of funding without matching grant sources in the state.

The second forum focused on the possibility of transfer-of-development rights (TDR) in several jurisdictions. (TDR is a zoning tool that enables landowners in planned preservation areas to sell density to landowners where higher density is more appropriate.) Pilot TDR programs have been drafted for Layton, West Point and Farmington.

Of note, Envision Utah instigated a continued discussion between the NRCS and Davis County to explore a unique way to match funds of the Farm and Ranchland Protection funds.

Davis County’s west side contains much open land that is marginally suitable for development due to the high water table and wetlands, yet the area contains significant developable acreage that is in high demand by developers. In 2000 and 2001, Envision Utah and the Davis County Council of Government’s Open Space Subcommittee hosted community workshops to envision the Davis County Shorelands Plan for the Great Salt Lake’s eastern shoreline. The plan outlines an approach to balance critical land preservation and development interests. All ten municipalities either adopted the Plan into their master plan or passes resolutions supporting it.

In January 2004, Envision Utah brought together mayors, developers, legislators, and economic development officials for a roundtable discussion on the impact of development decisions by the current sales tax laws. The laws create competition among communities for sales tax dollars and sometimes drive development decisions. Participants discussed the possibility of changing the formula to recognize factors other than population, such as job sites and housing.

Former Envision Utah Chair and State Senator Greg Bell, who had been planning to seek a legislative study of the issue, decided to wait a year until the Utah League of Cities and Towns looked at the overall tax situation in municipalities as well as the sales tax formula.

As this topic was part of the original Quality Growth Strategy and was re-identified as a major growth issue by Envision Utah’s 200 regional stakeholders in 2003, Envision Utah will continue to monitor the issue and bring stakeholders together as the issue develops. Envision Utah does not lobby.

Many municipalities are reevaluating their street design standards and are starting to accommodate a narrow street design concept. On May 8, 2001, Envision Utah co-sponsored an all-day symposium where over 150 safety officials gathered to address this topic from both a traffic and public safety point of view, hearing from professionals nationally and locally who have made changes in their communities. On a national scale, citizens are making attempts to reclaim streets for pedestrian use and safety. Envision Utah identified communities engaging in successful street design standards and traffic calming, what streets are conducive to calming in the hierarchy of a street system, strategies for a successful emergency response layer in the transportation element of the city’s comprehensive plan, and traffic calming to create walkable neighborhoods.

In August 2000 and June 2001, Envision Utah co-sponsored two morning seminars. In August, Envision Utah looked to local business leaders and key stakeholders for their input on how to overcome the legal and human resource barriers on implementing telework. Participants were asked to work together in groups and identify the legal challenges associated with teleworking and a list of general policies and implementation strategies that will help guide business leaders in implementing a successful telework program. At the June seminar, the technological aspects of teleworking, especially during the 2002 Winter Olympics, were the main focus.

Envision Utah, the Utah Chapter of the American Planners Association, and Grub & Ellis Realty co-sponsored this informative conference, which focused on the difficulties of achieving quality growth with current tax policies as well as some viable solutions for local communities. Former Utah Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Zimmerman moderated a panel discussion. Panelists remarked that local governments derive a disproporti9onaal part of their revenues from sales taxes, and that they are forced to compete to lure top tax producers to their communities. Corporate America has become adept at exploiting this competition. Among the most salient points of this discussion are the following:

• The rest of the West will soon have no other options except to follow California’s trends of dramatic increases in the rates of growth, urbanization and diversification.
• It’s not hard to justify one’s actions when one Wal-Mart generates local revenues equivalent to 1000 $250,000 houses and consumes much less land.
• Major big-box retail stores currently have a horizon of five to eight years, after which many move on, littering the landscape with large empty retail buildings.
• The total cost of tax exemptions should be “booked” in the state budget each year to taxpayers can get a clear idea how much revenue is lost for that purpose.
• A “hold harmless” provision embedded in any code revision seems feasible to administrate this, and there needs to be a consensus in the legislature toward a solution of these problems.

In October 2000, Envision Utah, the Utah Transit Authority, the Utah Department of Transportation, and others co-sponsored a Commuter Solutions conference that brought together transportation experts, business leaders, employee transportation coordinators, local government officials, and the general public to discuss the need for increasing and enhancing Transportation Demand Management programs along the Greater Wasatch Front. The conference addressed HOV lanes, Commuter Choice Tax Benefit, Transportation Demand Management, marketing, alternative fuel vehicles, new technology, and other related issues.

In November 2000, Envision Utah co-sponsored a conference designed to increase the environmental knowledge of water conservation to hotel and restaurant leaders. A panel discussion on a new way of doing business and understanding water efficiency for the 21st century helped participant understand the impact water conservation can have on a community. Competition is increasing throughout Utah in the lodging and restaurant industry. Maximizing “bottom line” profits through managing operating costs more effectively is critical. In addition, “environmental friendliness” can be a positive marketing tool.

Participants not only learned proven methods for decreasing water use and increasing efficiency but also began formulating partnerships between water providers, lodging and restaurant businesses, and the EPA. Participants were able to obtain free software to evaluate water efficiency options for their facilities.

Envision Utah and Fannie Mae co-sponsored a forum on how to plan vital, attractive neighborhood developments that enhance a community and accommodate a variety of housing choices. Local and national experts provided training. For many the word "density" continues to be negatively seen, but there is a growing awareness that a variety of housing options are needed to meet the market and social trends. More than 200 elected officials, developers, realtors, planners and lenders participated in the discussion.

Recognizing that the Wasatch Front can develop in a way that improves mobility choices, including public transportation, while planning more attractive, healthy and vibrant neighbohoods, Envision Utah brought together local and national experts to discuss Utah transit-oriented development (TOD) possibilities.

TOD creates destinations with housing, retail, employment, entertainment and services around transit stations. Pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use developments around stations encourage transit ridership, contribute to neighborhood livability, expand housing options, and promote infill and redevelopment of underutilized land.

Over 200 engineers, elected officials, planners, architects and other interested citizens participated in the event.

The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) invited Envision Utah to serve as the neutral facilitator in developing Growth Scenarios for the Mountain View Corridor (MVC). Envision Utah ensured meaningful involvement from stakeholder groups and citizens of the 16 cities involved. The MVC represents the last opportunity for a second major transportation connection between Salt Lake and Utah Counties.

Envision Utah partnered with residents, local jurisdictions, UDOT, Mountainland Association of Governments, Wasatch Front Regional Council, and Utah Transit Authority to develop growth scenarios that jointly evaluated transportation land-use issues and solutions for approximately 40 miles in western Salt Lake County and northern Utah County.

The MVC project is an unprecedented attempt to integrate local land-use planning and a transportation corridor that crosses interjurisdictional boundaries. Millions of federal dollars can be saved by strategically adjusting both local land-use plans and regional transportation decisions together. UDOT had never before had land-use discussions with communities in conjunction with an environmental impact statement.

A widespread media campaign encouraged citizen involvement in the MVC process. Envision Utah hosted six community workshops for the 14 communities involved in the MVC. Residents were asked to design the type of community they want in 2030. Several hundred residents voiced their opinions on future land-use and transportation choices, including mass transit, farmland protection, walkable commercial areas, and economic development.

Following the workshops, Envision Utah staff gave detailed presentations to each of the 14 city councils on the potential economic impact of each land-use choice. Ten more community meetings were held to fine-tune the potential land-use growth scenarios. This data influenced which transportation choices would be implemented.

The Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget projects that by 2030 the population west of the Bangerter Highway will grow from 267,000 to 635,000 and employment opportunities will rise from 82,000 to 268,000. The current transportation network is clearly inadequate for this expected growth. The MVC is an attempt to meet this growing need, to develop future transportation infrastructure, and to improve the quality of life for these cities.

Weber County, the Townships of Reese, West Weber, Warren and Weber, and the neighborhood of Taylor worked with consultants Landmark Design and Envision Utah to assist residents in developing a community vision for the lands bordering the shore of the Great Salt Lake.

Working with key stakeholders and the general public, a plan has been developed to address a variety of land uses for the area including parks, trails, residential, commercial, agricultural, manufacturing, open spaces and other uses. West Weber County, unincorporated Weber County and the four townships, share valuable land and resources. This planning provided them with a broadly and publicly supported vision that encourages quality growth and development with strategies to voluntarily preserve farmland and other critical land areas.

Ten communities in South Utah County (Springville, Mapleton, Spanish Fork, Salem, Woodland Hills, Elk Ridge, Payson, Santaquin, Genola, Goshen) worked closely with Envision Utah, Mountainland Association of Governments, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget, the Automated Geographic Reference Center and lead consultants, Swaner Design, to develop a vision for accommodating the high growth levels projected for the area. The Nebo Vision was a process that gave citizens an opportunity to talk, and for leaders to listen. By working together, they created a regional vision, tools and resources to help each individual community plan for the future as they continue to grow.

The Tooele Valley has experienced rapid growth in the last decade. Between 1990 and 2000, Tooele County had the third highest growth rate in the state (53%), third only to Summit and Washington Counties. The growth of the Valley population is inevitable, however how and where that growth occurs is still within the power of the citizens of the Valley. Residents of Tooele County came together to develop the Tooele Valley Regional Plan, to help understand the implications of current trends, and to outline alternatives to the current growth pattern. Through a totally interactive process, Tooele County residents and key stakeholders gave their input on critical issues facing the Tooele Valley, developing a regional vision to help them plan and prepare for the future.

Envision Utah worked with the Open Space Sub-Committee of the Davis County Council of Governments, Nature Conservancy, the nine local municipalities bordering the Great Salt Lake within Davis County, and consultants, Sear Brown, to write and implement a comprehensive vision for the eastern shoreline of the Great Salt Lake in Davis County. Local officials, developers, land owners, residents and other key stakeholders came together to develop a collaborative vision for the nine communities bordering the shores of the Great Salt Lake. A broadly and publicly supported plan has been developed that will guide growth and development in the area, while preserving the valuable agricultural and wetlands that these communities share.

Phase II of the Shorelands plan is now in full swing as Davis County pursues implementation. Conservation subdivisions, transfer development right programs, and conservation easements are just some of the ways that Davis County is working to protect the quality of life in their growing communities.

Sponsored primarily by Salt Lake County, Blueprint Jordan River is a visioning exercise, looking at the river as it connects the Great Salt Lake to Utah Lake, 58 miles away. Envision Utah is facilitating this process through 15 municipalities and three counties.

4 Counties and 2 MPOs

Over 1000 residents of Weber, Davis, Salt Lake and Utah Counites attended 14 community workshops in 2005 as part of the Wasatch Choices 2040 effort. Through Wasatch Choices 2040, residents helped shaped the future roads and transit in their communities, and examined the relationship of the transportation system to neighborhoods, jobs, farms and open lands.

With the assistance of Envision Utah, public comments were carefully noted to form the basis for scenarios to explore new ideas in transportation and land-use that will influence the long-range transportation plans created by the Mountainland Association of Governments (MAG) and Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC).

MAG and WFRC are composed of mayors and county officials and are required to update the regional transportation plan every three years. This collaborative effort has been funded by MAG, WFRC, Utah Department of Transportation, Utah Transit Authority and Envision Utah. Staker Parsons sponsored the process's five open houses.

Wasatch Choices 2040 recognized that it is futile to project patterns of growth without thinking about the transportation investments we make. For example, freeways and boulevards support different forms of commerce, while transit supports walkable forms of development.

Two of the products to come out of this process are Growth Principles and a Vision Scenario. The elected officials of WFRC and MAG unanimously adopted the Growth Principles in late 2005.

The Vision Scenario provides one plausible illustration of how the region could grow if the Growth Principles are adopted. The Vision results in 18% less congestion, 12% more transit use, and 23 fewer square miles of land consumption relative to the fully built-out 2030 long-range transportation plan.

"We are one of the first places in the nation to use a publicly created vision to guide the long-range transportation plan, and the Wasatch Choices 2040 approach is a national model," said Ted Knowlton, Envision Utah's Planning Director. In developing the next long-range transportation plan, the two MPOs will look at how regional transportation choices affect broader issues, such as housing, critical lands, air quality, and more.

The Washington County Commission asked Envision Utah to facilitate a county-wide dialogue on growth issues. The public response to the effort was very strong. Washington County has been one of the nation's fastest growing counties.

The Salt Lake Chamber asked Envision Utah to help with technical research and facilitate workshops to update Salt Lake City's "Second Century Plan" of 1962. Downtown Rising had tremendous public support and resulted in a strong vision whose impact will be felt for many years to come.

Download the draft plan by selecting from the sections below (Right-click and select "Save Target As" to save files on your computer).

The Weber County Commission unanimously adopted the plan on December 27th, 2005. To implement this plan, the county hired BioWEST (from May to Dec 2006) to engage the public in drafting a Transfer of Development Right Ordinance (TDR).

Envision Utah worked with Ogden City officials, residents and other key stakeholders to develop a Master Development Plan to revitalize the Wall Avenue corridor in downtown Ogden. This plan has been adopted and is being implemented. Projects such as the Ogden City Intermodal Transportation Hub, Union Square, and other developments on 25th Street are the beginnings of a newly revitalized corridor.

Envision Utah facilitated community workshops and open houses to allow Sandy residents to voice their preferences for the future of Sandy City's Historic District. "Envision Utah provided tools and information, but the residents are creating the vision for the area," said Ted Knowlton, Envision Utah's Planning Director. Over 120 residents, for example, attended the January 2005 open house.

Bountiful City's Main Street has changed dramatically over the past 40 years, losing its role as the city's dominant retail district. And yet, it remains probably the best historic main street in Davis County, blessed with incredible potential to be a unique pedestrian-friendly shopping environment.

Surrounding neighborhoods are struggling with some of the issues that Main Street faces: how to grow and adapt to changing market conditions while preserving the best of the past.

City leaders invited Envision Utah to facilitate a plan to look to the future of the "Fort District" area. Public workshops were held in the fall 2005 and open houses in early 2006. Bountiful City's planning department is using the input to craft a long-term plan for the area.

Envision Utah conducted a proactive process to update the city of Magna's general plan. Envision Utah provided tools, analysis and technical expertise to help residents accommodate growth and identify areas for redevelopment. A series of workshops were held to gather public input.

As a result of the outreach effort and technical support, the Magna Plan was created and later reviewed by the Steering Committee of local community leaders from the public and private sectors.

The Plan was integrated into the general plan in 2005.

Envision Utah facilitated the updating of the city of Kearn's general plan through community workshops in 2004. Envision Utah provided the tools, analysis and technical expertise to help residents accommodate growth and identify areas for redevelopment.

Public input was gathered through a series of community workshops. The resulting recommendations have been integrated into the city's general plans.

By 2030, Brigham City is expected to add 6500 new residents. How will the city change to accommodate this growth?

Brigham City produced a new general plan, the city’s guide to long term growth and development. Over 100 residents attended two Envision Utah-facilitated workshops. In general, residents supported walkable development, a wide range of housing options and transportation choices. Residents also felt that business growth and visual aesthetics were important issues to address in the General Plan. The city council subsequently adopted the recommendations.

Envision Utah worked with a local Steering Committee to guide a public involvement process during 2004. The public feedback has guided a draft update of Perry City's General Plan. The draft General Plan has been reviewed by the Perry Planning Commission and recommended to the city council for adoption. The city council subsequently adopted the recommendations.

Please select the links below to download the the latest plan draft:

In April 2004, Envision Utah presented its transit-oriented development study to a joint Planning Commission and City Council meeting. The study has been influential in helping the city plan for a TOD near its city center. In 2008 a bus rapid transit will run along 3500 South and connect to the TOD when it is completed. The TOD study calls for major redevelopment of the area and integrates many pedestrian-friendly elements.

Envision Utah facilitated a community visioning process to assess a potential TOD stop at 9400 South in Sandy City near the Jordan Commons and South Town Exposition Center. The City Council and Planning Commission adopted the study in January 2004. A TRAX station at this location is consistent with the city’s goals to achieve a vibrant downtown that provides for and makes all modes of transportation feasible and safe.

The ability to balance and coordinate the needs of pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit users is a crucial aspect in the maturity of a downtown and, ultimately, in its success – particularly in an “entertainment/business” district that has mixed-uses, multiple destinations and varied clientele at all times of the day.

Envision Utah assisted the four communities of South Salt Lake, West Jordan, Murray and Layton to evaluate potential land uses around existing and future transit stations. Staff worked with local residents and stakeholders to synthesize their wishes into a broadly and publicly supported plan. Each community’s plan guides local development through design guidelines and ordinances. It also fostered each transit station becoming a “destination” of housing, retail, employment centers, entertainment and services.

The proactive planning of development around transit station is ensuring that our future transportation system is supported by smart land-use decision-making throughout the Greater Wasatch Area.