This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
As the Utah Department of Transportation considers options for the West Davis Corridor (essentially an extension north of the Legacy Highway west of Interstate 15), one of its highest priorities should be protecting the rights of existing homeowners.
The government can legally "take" land with homes on it to build roads, but this should be done only when there are no other good alternatives. The compensation given for taking someone's home cannot make up for the true costs of displacing a family and a neighborhood.
Many people and groups speak for the trees, and legislation protects the environment from new roads. But who protects the most basic right of owning a home? UDOT should do everything possible to find a good route that takes the fewest homes.
In regard to a southern interchange that will connect the West Davis Corridor to Legacy and I-15, the Glover Lane option, which takes no homes, should be considered a much better option than the Shepard Lane route, which takes at least 10 homes and goes right through the middle of an established community.
Katrina Woolley
Kaysville