Legacy may win green light soon
Lawmakers to vote on new accord Wednesday
Legislators who will be at the Capitol for monthly interim committee hearings are to meet in their respective House and Senate caucuses to vote on the proposed settlement.
Lawmakers in July rejected an agreement reached between the Utah Department of Transportation and the plaintiffs who sued the agency to halt construction of the highway. The Legislature's approval was a legal requirement because it involved a state expenditure exceeding $1 million.
But key lawmakers say they are "optimistic" this time, and a legislative committee has already reviewed the latest proposal.
"I feel pretty good about it," said House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy. "I think there will be caucus support. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't bring it to caucus." The deal being presented to the caucuses Wednesday has "broad support" from members of the legislative committee, according to Curtis.
If legislators endorse the deal, the next step is for Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., who supports the highway, to sign an "agreement in principle" between the state and the plaintiffs. Work can then begin to draft legislation outlining details of the settlement.
The specifics of the tentative agreement have not been released, but two issues it addresses are speed limits and types of construction materials used in the highway. Construction on the 14-mile highway running parallel to I-15 between Salt Lake and Farmington was halted in 2001 when the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals said the state did not adequately study environmental impacts of the roadway.
UDOT was asked to complete a supplemental study, a final draft of which the agency expects to release in late October or early November.
"The governor has stated several times his desire to see Legacy built, and he and his office have been very involved in discussions with the Legislature and the plaintiffs," said Huntsman spokeswoman Tammy Kikuchi. "We're all very anxious for the proposal to move forward."
Marc Heileson, regional representative for the Sierra Club, declined to comment on specifics of the agreement. But he agreed, "Momentum is moving again. I'm a Red Sox fan, and we all know that things can go sour in the seventh. But we're optimistic."
The Sierra Club was a plaintiff in the 2001 suit. Since January, it and other plaintiffs have been working with UDOT to reach an agreement that would allow Legacy to be built.
"If all goes well, hallelujah," said Killpack, who believes the deal is a "winner" that "can put this fiasco behind us. I'm cautiously ecstatic as we go to the respective caucuses."
E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com
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