My Opinion

The current Options 1 and 2 will have a huge negative impact on the residents of Plain City and their rural way of life. Of the two options, however, Option 1 stands to have a greater impact. Option 1 is too close to the historic town center and will mow down approximately 70 more homes than Option 2. It will affect many of the longest established families in Plain City.

Option 2 will head out further west into private property "wetlands," much of it going through agricultural land that is not currently developed. The land there has not been officially declared wetlands, nor has it been protected by any agency, but the environmental impact will be studied prior to making a decision. Option 2 will prevent farmers from developing their land in order to preserve the corridor.

I don't believe any of the residents of Plain City will come out "winners" in this situation. In the end, the state will determine where the road will go, and either many families will lose their homes or several farmers and landowners will be prevented from developing their land. In addition, any homeowner in the path of Option 1 will have a difficult time selling their home and property, or will need to do so at a much lower selling price than anticipated, because of the planned roadway. I anticipate that property values will significantly decrease for the properties that are in the path of the road and for those that are close. Even though construction on the road would not begin until 2020-2030 or later, that in itself will impact those who do not plan to be around that long.

Because of the potential impact to many more people and the historic properties near Plain City's town center, if I had to choose between Option 1 and Option 2, I would choose the western Option 2 route.

Even better, I have heard that Box Elder County, specifically the Willard area, is interested in having the road reach further north rather than joining up with I-15 at Smith & Edwards. If the road were to go further north before turning east to join I-15, it would provide an alternate route for residents of Box Elder County, which is booming, as well as improving access to Willard Bay as a tourist attraction.