Politics & Government
Council sees Hospital and 2100 N. area plan; Concerned about lack of public transit
The Lehi City Council met on Tuesday, Feb. 27 with all members in attendance. A significant part of the meeting was hearing an update on the Holy Cross Hospital and 2100 N. Station Area Plans by consulting firm Arcadis out of Salt Lake City. The Hospital Station is proposed to be placed between the Holy Cross Hospital and Young Living headquarters. The 2100 N. Station is proposed to be placed off 2100 N. and 1200 W.
This plan is years in the making and was initially spurred by the Sanctuary, a luxury apartment project currently under construction in the area.
“We’ve been working on this plan for more than nine months. It is a response to HB 462,” said urban planner Jordan Swain.
House Bill 462 was passed by the Utah Legislature in 2022 as an affordable housing solution. Former Lehi State Senator Jake Anderegg sponsored it on the senate floor. The bill included tax increment financing incentives for cities to approve Transit-Oriented Developments (TODs) like the proposed station plans. The bill also requires a moderate affordable housing element.
Arcadis presented feedback received during their public engagement period last year through virtual opportunities and at an in-person open house. The public ranked the following as most and least important:
Most important:
● Public parks, plazas, community centers
● Small businesses
● Restaurants and bars
● Affordable housing
Least important:
● Big box retail
● Office space
Along with soliciting public feedback, Arcadis also met with stakeholders in the area, including Holy Cross Mountain Point Hospital, Young Living, The Boyer Company, Layton Development, and Utah Transit Authority (UTA).
The proposed area plan is broken up into six different use areas, including:
● Hospital district
● Hospital Station TOD
● Dining district
● Health and wellness district
● Maker district
● 2100 N. TOD
“We’ve envisioned a dining experience in the dining district for special occasions. With Young Living right there, it always smells so good. We see that district as a health and wellness district. We have plans for the 2100 N. TOD District to have a quaint village feel with 553 units,” said Swain.
The council and mayor expressed multiple concerns.
“I like the plan, but my biggest concern is an actual transit system. Every study pushes us further and further back from getting transit. The latest change of going from bus rapid transit (BRT) to light rail complicates matters of getting it from the Point project in Draper into Lehi,” said Mayor Mark Johnson.
“I’d like to know a transit schedule. Without transit, we’re building a lot of density that isn’t a transit-oriented development. Without the transit component, we’re asking for problems,” continued Johnson.
“The best thing we can do as a community is anticipate transit-supported uses like high-density residential, which will certainly provide a greater incentive for UTA to extend the line sooner than later. Right now, that incentive doesn’t quite exist,” responded Swain.
Councilmember Michelle Stallings added concern about incorporating public greenspace through 1200 W.
“The greenway corridor is great, but 1200 W. is a very busy street,” said Stallings.
Swain replied that the plan is to have a pedestrian bridge over 1200 W. to move walkable traffic through the project without interacting with the road.
“Who will pay for it?” inquired Stallings.
“We don’t know yet,” said Swain.
“We’ve been told, ‘if you build it, they will come,’ but we’ve been stuck with a lot of problems and traffic issues without transit. I’m cautious about this whole thing,” concluded Stallings.
Arcadis will now select a final concept to bring back to the City Council for approval, along with a five-year plan for the project.
