Lehi City News
Continued growth in Lehi area highlighted at Chamber of Commerce event
The Lehi Area Chamber of Commerce held their Annual City Update luncheon on Tuesday, January 8. City representatives from Saratoga Springs and Lehi City spoke about growth and plans for the upcoming year.
Saratoga Springs Public Relations and Economic Development Director David Johnson talked about growth and plans for the city’s future. Johnson said “Seven years ago there were 15,000 people in Saratoga Springs. Now there are over 30,000 people. The average household size is 4.4 people, and average household income is around $80,000. Something that makes a city successful is having a place for families to live, work, and play.”
Johnson also spoke about upcoming housing developments, road construction, and business growth that will help diversify the area. “The more different types of businesses we can bring in to the city, the more diverse the city’s portfolio will become, helping take the burden off our residents and taxpayers.”
Lehi Mayor Mark Johnson also spoke about growth within the city. Johnson said “In 2010, there were 324 single family homes built in Lehi. In 2018 there were 1,056. That still leaves 50,000 units short along the Wasatch Front, which mean people looking for homes in our area won’t find them. Some people blame growth on families moving in from other states. But Utah County has the largest birth rate in the nation and has for years. That was bound to catch up to us sooner or later.”
With so many additions and changes to the city, Mayor Johnson says that creating and keeping a plan is key. Johnson said, “We are going to make sure that Lehi has a transportation and transit plan that works well into the future. The best way to deal with growth is proper planning. We can control planning, we cannot control growth.”
Mayor Johnson addressed business growth saying “In 2017 there were 32 office buildings. In 2019 we will see an additional 720,000 square feet of Class A office buildings.”
According to Johnson, this growth bring not only jobs, but an increased tax base, and financial stability. Johnson spoke about a recent Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems conference in Salt Lake City in which Lehi City was highlighted for its financial power. Johnson said “At the UAMPS conference, Natalie Gochnour, an associate dean in the David Eccles School of Business, referenced Lehi’s Technical corridor as being the economic engine of Utah. That’s a big deal.”
