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Draper’s Growth Prompts Changes

Sep 08, 2015 03:27PM ● By Bryan Scott

UTA

By Chloe Bartlett

Draper - Draper’s exponential growth has left the city with few places to expand, and has led the Draper City Council to approve general plan and zoning map amendments that will accommodate a rapidly increasing population. 

The affected property, located at approximately 11970 South 700 East, was once intended for agricultural and commercial use, but has now been changed to allow for multi-family, high-density land use. 

High-density communities are often centered near public transit in order to encourage its use, making this an important move for the city’s future. A community like this has not yet been established in Draper and “this would be the place where you would want see some higher density development, basically to take advantage of the transit connectivity,” community development director Keith Morey said. 

If this development succeeds in convincing the majority of its residents to take public transport, it could lead to similar communities in the future, which not only enables more people to enjoy the Draper lifestyle, but could also help to alleviate traffic and pollution.

Some concerns about the new development include detracting from the rural atmosphere of the area. But overall, people are convinced that this is the best way for the city to proceed. 

“I’ve lived here a while and, unfortunately, seen a lot change, but I understand why it’s happening. Draper’s a big deal now, and it has to go where it’s led,” Jean Starnes said.

With the immense growth Draper has seen recently, the city is looking ahead at options that will best suit the needs of its residents, and these types of communities are a very plausible solution.