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Firefighters Honored, Bangerter Plans Discussed at City Council

May 05, 2016 04:30PM ● By Tori La Rue

By Tori La Rue | [email protected]

West Jordan - Two West Jordan City fire fighters, the newest and one of the oldest, were honored at the West Jordan City Council Meeting on March 23. 

After finishing a year probationary period, Ben Lynch was welcomed into the West Jordan Fire Department at the meeting. He took the oath of office, swearing into the department, and then his wife pinned an official badge on his shirt. 

Lynch, from Davis County, grew up around public safety officials, as his mother and father were in the police force. Lynch said he attributes his desire to be a firefighter to his parents, and he is excited to be the newest sworn-in member of the West Jordan Fire Department. 

Right after Lynch’s appointment, Patrice Johnson, superintendent of the Jordan School District, presented an “Applause” award certificate to Reed Sharman, deputy fire chief, on behalf of the district. 

“These awards are usually only given to employees, but you are an honorary one,” Johnson said to Sharman. 

The Jordan School District wanted to honor Sharman for going above what was expected or required of him to ensure the safety of the children at Jordan School District Schools, Johnson said. Sharman has helped, not only the 17 schools within West Jordan’s boundaries, but all the schools in the district.

After these presentations, several public hearings were held and business items were discussed. The proposed bridges that will be constructed at the 7000 South and 9000 South Bangerter intersections were discussed in-depth. 

Utah Department of Transportation officials plan to create freeway-style interchanges at the intersections of Bangerter and 5400 South, 7000 South, 9000 South and 14000 South to aid traffic flow as the southwest part of the valley continues to flourish. 

As they sit now, plans show Bangerter going over the West Jordan intersections at 7000 South and 9000 South. This would likely be more cost effective than having 9000 South and 70000 South going over Bangerter, according to Beau Hunter, project manager, but the department is still in the environmental study phase, so that could change. 

The Bangerter team has been inviting residents with homes near the proposed project sites to neighborhood meetings to gather their input. A detailed interactive map of the preliminary plans can be found on http://www.udot.utah.gov/bangerter7000south/ and http://www.udot.utah.gov/bangerter9000south/. Residents can give feedback by clicking on a spot on the map and typing in their comments. 

One tricky part about the 7000 South intersection is trying to figure out where to put the crosswalk, Hunter said. The current crosswalk would not be high enough to go over the interchange, but moving the crosswalk further south would put it in Jordan Landing. 

“We’ve talked to the school and the school district, and they don’t feel like that is a safe place for the kids,” Hunter said. “They’d be by a parking lot, and parking lots are one of the most dangerous places for pedestrians.” 

Hunter said the community residents think the best place for the crosswalk would be north of 7000 South, but Mayor Kim Rolfe said he didn’t think students would use the crosswalk if it was more north than 7000 South because they’d have to go out of their way to use it. This is one issue that will continue to be discussed at the upcoming meetings. 

Other items discussed at the March 23 meeting: 

• The council unanimously approved a rezone of about 4.2 acres at 7953 South  2700 West from rural residential half-acre lots and single-family residential 10,000-square-foot lots “C” home size to single-family residential 10,000-square-foot lots “E” home size. 

• After a public hearing on adding an exception to the Annual Cap and grade on multi-family development, which would allow developers of master communities of more than 75 acres to have more leeway, the council voted for staff to re-evaluate the request and consider if pre-existing buildings and amenities could count as part of the 75-acre limit. 

• The council approved the appointments of the CDBG/HOME Committee. Councilmember Sophie Rice will continue serving on that committee this year. 

• In the last three years, a couple businesses opened in West Jordan, claiming to be convenience stores, but soon their name and display showed that they were aimed at selling tobacco, according to city records. Because of this, the council voted to amend the current definition of a tobacco specialty business. The new definition of a tobacco specialty business is a store that meets at least one of these qualifications—tobacco products make up 35 percent or more of the gross quarterly receipts, the name of the business evidences itself as a tobacco business or 40 percent or more of display and storage space is taken up by tobacco products.