Mt. Pleasant plans ‘Trail Project’ that will reach all the way to Spring City
By James Tilson
01-17-2019
MT. PLEASANT—The “Mt. Pleasant Trail Project” has been given a green light to proceed this spring, said Monte Bona, executive director of the Community Development and Renewal Agency (CDRA).
Bona told the city council that federal and state agencies have approved the mitigation plan for the project.
He explained how a “hiccup” in the application had been overcome, when a potential conflict-of-interest between Councilman Justin Atkinson and Sunrise Engineering had been resolved.
Bona presented a plan from Sunrise dated Dec. 27, 2018 which proposed to keep Atkinson excluded from the trail project, and thus negate any conflict. Bona also showed an email on Jan. 8, 2019 from the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), which accepted the plan.
With the acceptance from UDOT, Bona told the council the project would start “as soon as weather permits this spring.”
The $350,000 project will build a six- to eight-foot wide asphalt or concrete path starting near the railroad depot and eventually stretch all the way to Spring City.
Atkinson noted the exact details were still being engineered, and some of the details may change depending on construction costs. The city would prefer to build the path out of concrete, as it would last longer and have fewer maintenance costs. But the city cannot foresee construction market costs yet, and would have to see how that affects the project.
Mayor Dan Anderson told the council about a potential new business wanting to open in the industrial park. Consolidated Merchants Group, which would act as a distribution center with contracts with the U.S. Postal Service, plans to open a building on a five acre plot on the west side of the airport strip road, next to the fence facing ConToy Arena, across from Lindbergh Lane.
Anderson told the council the owner of the business had already moved to Mt. Pleasant, and wanted to move his business here as well. Anderson thought the business fits the profile of the industrial park, but it would be the first business on the west side. Anderson wanted to opinion of the council on the proposed location.
Councilman Kevin Stallings expressed concerns about the “buffer zone” between the industrial park and ConToy Arena. “Will there be a big building, which will block the view?” Stallings asked.
After Bona said the business plans to start with a 20,000 square feet building, and eventually expand to 100,000 square feet, Councilwoman Keidi Kelso noted, “I think the business is consistent with what’s already there. I don’t think it will hurt the ConToy Arena.”
Councilman Keith Collier said he was in favor of more businesses moving into Mt. Pleasant. “We need more businesses so we can keep our kids here.”
Anderson noted the plans were not final yet, and the council could possibly move the location around to fit all the concerns from the council.
Bona reminded the council, “Mt. Pleasant has been pushing the idea of our city as an ideal location for distribution businesses for central Utah. It would not make sense to get in the way of that now.”
