What is the Northern Corridor?
What is the Northern Corridor?
Well, it’s hard to say. It has changed so many times it’s easier to think of it as an idea instead of a plan. The only consistent theme has been that our Policy Makers have been more concerned with getting ANY road they can through the Desert Reserve than providing an efficient and effective transportation solution for the public.
The Route:
The Northern Corridor was originally conceived as a Northern Belt Road that connected I15 to SR18 (see 1996 Washington City master plan) that provided a fast efficient way for East/West travel across Washington County. The current plan is anything but that. Anyone can look at a map of the current proposed route and quickly realize this.
When drivers are choosing a route, they are looking for the shortest and fastest way. The current proposed route is neither. Instead of a straight line/shortcut to the Interstate, it’s a winding road that takes you across the Desert Reserve, then north through the Green Springs residential neighborhood, before heading south again, along the Brio residential development, and eventually ending up at Exit 13. The section through the residential areas will have reduced speed limits and up to 7 additional stoplights.
Somewhere along the way, Washington City decided that they would have the city portion of the route go right through residential developments instead of around them. Was this a lack of foresight, incompetence, or Policy Makers at the City and County that put the priorities of Developers ahead of the Residents that call this City their home?
The worst part is Washington City knew that Washington Parkway would be part of the NC route yet still approved the residential subdivisions, without establishing a proper right-of-way or the necessary required set-backs based on the estimated traffic counts. Washington City records show Green Springs area subdivision approvals along the route between 2015 and 2019. Residents had moved in before the BLM considered and approved a right-of-way through the Desert Reserve in 2021. That means the vast majority of residents moved here with no knowledge that they were on or near the NC route. There was no disclosure from the developers, builders, or real estate agents. In fact, state law doesn’t even require it. Property sellers are only required to disclose what is ON a property, not what is going around it. We, like most Wash Co residents, were under the false impression that the NC would be far to the North as it was originally conceived. We never imagined that the City would allow this road so close to residential properties.
The reason given for the NC is to alleviate traffic at St. George Blvd and 1000 East, but it will still be shorter and faster for East/West traffic to use Exit 8 to access I15. There will be enough cars using the NC to cause great harm to the Green Springs and Brio neighborhoods, but not enough cars using it to solve the traffic congestion on St George Blvd long term. That poses the question, who benefits most from this road? We believe the answer is the Developers, the Contractors who build it, and the Politicians who want to claim it as their legacy. To the 140 households that are currently located directly along the route, that legacy will be the permanent destruction of our quality of life and our home values.
The Green Springs Residents chose to live here because it’s one of the nicest and quietest neighborhoods in Washington City, and now we are faced with an extremely difficult situation if the road goes through. Live with the situation the City and County put us in, or sell at a substantial loss, move, and start over somewhere else.
The Cost:
The projected construction cost of the 4.5-mile section through the desert reserve is $250,000,000. Most people are shocked when they hear that amount, which is why you never hear the Policy Makers talk about it.
The Residents that continue to live here would have to deal with diminished quality of life as well as the health and safety risks that come with living right next to a busy road.
The Residents that move would face a difficult time selling their homes and suffer from greatly diminished property values which would total in the tens of millions of dollars collectively for the neighborhood.
Side note – Zone 6:
The Zone 6 proposal is a brilliant ploy by the Politicians to turn the users of the Bear Claw Poppy Trails and Moe’s Valley into proponents of the Northern Corridor. The fact is that most of Zone 6 is ALREADY protected, and the majority of Washington County Residents would like these areas to stay protected. If you want to protect BCP and Moe’s, we don’t need a Northern Corridor, we need County Commissioners and Policy Makers to better represent the Citizens who elected them.
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