West Valley City public input on future development around TRAX stations
Apr 22, 2025 12:22AM ● By Darrell KirbyWest Valley City has three Utah Transit Authority TRAX stations on its far east side.
To comply with state legislation passed during the 2023 legislative session, the city is completing the process of creating a vision to guide future land use and transportation development around those stations.
A public open house was held in March to give residents and other stakeholders a chance to see what the various development scenarios are and to comment on them. The “Station Area Plans” will address housing, including density, sustainability, livability, and transportation options in a half-mile radius around the Decker Lake, River Trail, and Redwood Junction stations of the TRAX Green Line. The route runs between the West Valley Central Station and Salt Lake City International Airport.
“We really want to hear from members of the community, both individuals and stakeholders,” said Christian Snelgrove of WSP, an international engineering and environmental consulting firm with a local office in South Jordan.
Tables were lined with maps and other materials showing the current conditions of the areas around each of the three stations and possible changes, which could include residential and commercial development and other amenities that would enhance the surroundings for people who live and work in the area. “We have some examples of different buildings, development types, streetscape elements, possible scenarios for around the area,” Snelgrove said. “This is one part of the public involvement process. None of this is concrete. It’s all subject to feedback from members of the public, the city council, the planning commission.”
In the broader picture, officials hope to capitalize on the unique assets of each station. For the Decker Lake area, it is the activities and events at the Maverik Center. The River Trail Station features access to the Jordan River Trail. A light industrial/business area and commercial development along Redwood Road makes up the radius around the Redwood Junction station.
People attending the open house could indicate their preferences by placing small green stickers on maps and printouts of the development scenarios they liked and red stickers on the ones they didn’t.
Not everyone is fully on board with the development scenarios around the three TRAX stations.
As a handful of people browsed the plans laid out on the tables, Snelgrove said early feedback was mixed. “They generally have been kind of skeptical about new development or adding density. These are established neighborhoods. They don’t want to see them change, which is perfectly natural.”
Kirt Johnston has lived in a couple different homes in the Chesterfield neighborhood for 20 years. “They keep wanting to take any open ground there is,” he said.
Johnston said he sold his first home in the community because he didn’t want the then-new TRAX line running right behind his house. Now, he’s afraid of what might become of where he is now depending on what scenario is chosen for his area. “We’re going to lose the zoning on it, I know, eventually,” Johnston surmised.
Councilmember Don Christensen said all means of public input are important in developing the station area plans. “We don’t like to make decisions in a vacuum,” he said, adding that the process has been underway for about three months. “It’s been mandated by the legislature a couple of years ago. This is the last year to get it on the record, so we're going to get it on the record.”
“Listening to what the public has to say is the most important part,” Christensen said.
After public input, the West Valley City Council will review and approve scenarios for each of the three TRAX stations. The Wasatch Front Regional Council will then certify the plans. The deadline to complete the process is the end of this year.
