CWC’s Comment On Kimball Junction Draft EIS

CWC’s Comment On Kimball Junction Draft Environmental Impact Statement

 

Dear Kimball Junction Environmental Impact Statement team,

Please accept the following document as comments from the Central Wasatch Commission
(CWC) regarding the Kimball Junction Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The CWC
appreciates the invitation to provide this comment.

 

In 2020, the CWC embarked upon its Mountain Transportation System Project that culminated
in the CWC releasing a public statement in support of six “pillars” that would comprise a safe,
effective, and equitable regional mountain transportation system for the Central Wasatch
Mountain Range. Those pillars are:

1. A visitor-use capacity study that corresponds to transportation and transit study and
decision-making is necessary.

2. Any transportation solution should minimize and mitigate negative environmental
impacts, including irreversible damage to the watersheds.

3. Traffic demand management strategies should address traffic congestion on the roads
accessing the canyons of the Central Wasatch Mountains.

4. Transportation solutions should have the capacity for integration into the broader
regional transportation network. The CWC supports the exploration of transit micro-
hubs as gathering places for visitors and residents.

5. The CWC considers year-round transit service a priority, including dispersed
recreational opportunities in the surrounding areas.

6. Transportation improvements in the Wasatch Front and Back should be coupled with
improved land and natural resource protection, namely, the Central Wasatch National
Conservation and Recreation Area Act. This coupling of federal legislation to
transportation is necessary given the delicate balance that was foundational to the
Mountain Accord agreement, based on four interdependent systems of the Central
Wasatch Mountain Range: transportation, economy, recreation, and environment.

 

In addition to the above elements of a broad regional transportation system for the Central
Wasatch Front and Back, the CWC would like to emphasize the following:

1. That development remain as concentrated to clustered nodes, like Kimball Junction as
possible, to encourage development patterns that reduce sprawl and preserve open
space, sensitive environments, community character, and quality of life in the Wasatch
Back.

2. That an analysis of carrying capacity for the broader Park City community be conducted
in conjunction with road improvements at Kimball Junction.

3. In addition to addressing congestion and safety, any improvements to Kimball Junction
should be made with the future goal of connecting economic centers and recreational
nodes within the Wasatch Front and Back.

4. The Alternative chosen should be multi-modal with specific attention to road bicycle and
pedestrian connections, including to regional trails. The improvements should include
pathways for a trail network that connects residents and Kimball Junction, recreation
nodes, and any potential future transit stations at Kimball Junction.

5. Road improvements should only be made after thorough consideration of wildlife
corridors and impacts.

 

Thank you for your consideration of the Central Wasatch Commission’s comments on the
Kimball Junction Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Accounting for the populations of the
jurisdictions that comprise the Central Wasatch Commission, the CWC collectively represents
1,443,788 people. We hope our comments serve to enhance the environmental study process.

Individual member entities of CWC may provide additional feedback to UDOT on behalf of their
organizations. CWC comments may not be inclusive of concerns or comments of individual
CWC member entities and reflect the mission of CWC in implementing the intent of Mountain
Accord.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Jeff Silvestrini, Millcreek Mayor, Central Wasatch Commission Chair

Erin Mendenhall, Central Wasatch Commission Co-Chair, Salt Lake City Mayor

Christopher F. Robinson, Summit County Council Member

Monica Zoltanski, Sandy City Mayor

Bill Ciraco, Park City Council Member

Michael Weichers, Cottonwood Heights Mayor

Dan Knopp, Town of Brighton Mayor

Roger Bourke, Town of Alta Mayor
______________________________

Read full comment here

Read draft EIS Factsheet here