Pioneer Crossing to be completed ahead of schedule

Great news for Eagle Mountain residents!!

December 16th, 2009 @ 3:45pm
By Sam Penrod
AMERICAN FORK -- A new highway that will add a direct route from Interstate 15 to Saratoga Springs and Eagle Mountain has reached the halfway point. But a popular new restaurant in the middle of the construction zone has the Utah Department of Transportation concerned about gridlock.

In 2008, 20,185 daily commuters traveled on Lehi's Main Street. In comparison 15,915 daily commuters used Redwood Road between Lehi Main Street and the Bangerter Highway. -UDOTFor nearly a year now, crews have been working on Pioneer Crossing -- a brand new highway to bring direct freeway access to the growing communities on the west side of Utah Lake.

"We hope to have this all open by September [2010], which will be a couple of months ahead of schedule," UDOT spokesman Scott Thompson said Wednesday. "We will continue to work through the winter; and once the weather warms up, you will see a lot of work on this road to get it finished."

Crews are making progress on a bridge spanning the Jordan River. It's not far from where Pioneer Crossing will connect to Redwood Road.

There will be two lanes in both directions; and because it is close to some residential areas, the speed limit will be just 40 miles per hour, but nonstop.

What is… Pioneer Crossing?
Pioneer Crossing will be a new five-lane east-west connector from Redwood Road in Saratoga Springs to 300 East in Lehi. The project also includes improvements to the I-15 interchange at American Fork Main Street and a new 60-inch water main. -UDOT"We're excited to give people more mobility and a quicker commute back and forth from the interstate to Redwood Road, and the folks in Saratoga Springs and Eagle Mountain another route to where they want to go," Thompson said.
A rendering provided by UDOT shows how the new diverging diamond interchange will work. It will connect Pioneer Crossing to I-15.

First, UDOT is bracing for the popular In and Out Burger opening in the midst of all of the construction on American Fork's Main Street.

"Right now, we have that down to one lane in each direction. And if traffic is backed up on American Fork's Main Street, we would encourage customers to come back, because we don't want to back up Main Street or the on and off-ramps to I-15 as well," Thompson said.

The new diverging diamond interchange is about halfway done. It is scheduled to be finished next fall with the rest of Pioneer Crossing.

E-mail: spenrod@ksl.com

Money well spent?

Last night at the Eagle Mountain city council meeting a request to purchase a $215,000 bronze statue of a horse and rider, i.e. Pony Express, named “Special Delivery” was presented to the City Council by Mayor Jackson. The intent is to place the statue in Mid Valley Park along the Pony Express Trail. This was not a budgeted item; therefore money used for this purchase comes from somewhere else in the city. What exactly will be sacrificed is not yet clear, but one can imagine how many neighborhood parks could be built or improved with $215,000 or perhaps the four years of an aquatic center subsidy that the city is unwilling to commit to that $215,000 would cover. It turns out that because of the absence of Ochsenhirt at the time of voting, Mayor Jackson was able to vote on her own request. Lifferth and Cieslak voted in favor and Burnham and Ireland voted against, thus Mayor Jackson needed to vote as a tie breaker. It is the hope that much if not all of the necessary funds will come from grants, but at the time we make the commitment to purchase, we don’t have the money. That philosophy, buy now and figure out how to pay later, is troubling to say the least. It’s the philosophy that significantly contributed to much of the economic troubles experienced today by many who are in homes they can’t afford. Rising credit card debt is another symptom of this philosophy. Aside from the unknown payment plan, I question whether this statue is the best way to spend $215,000 of our limited money.

What the media is saying...

Daily Herald - by Joe Pyrah
" David Lifferth in Eagle Mountain is still trying to figure out what he did to lose his council seat."
"The winners --John Painter and Nathan Ochsenhirt-- beat Lifferth handily."
"They campaigned really hard. They really worked hard," he said."

Deseret News -by Abigail Shaha, Sara Lenz and Rodger L. Hardy
"In Eagle Mountain's City Council race, incumbent City Councilman David Lifferth was defeated with only 782 votes against fellow incumbent Nathan Ochsenhirt with 1,238 votes and newcomer John Painter with 1,271."

We did it, THANKS!!!

The results are in and with 1271 votes you have elected me to the Eagle Mountain City Council. Nate Ochsenhirt will join me for the next 4 years. I appreciate the service rendered by Dave Lifferth over the last few years and look forward to building on the positive momentum we have in the city.

There are too many people who helped my campaign to thank them individually, but I will acknowledge Deborah, my wife, for all her patience and hard work. She and my kids have contributed a lot and without them this would not have been possible. And thanks to my parents for flying out to share in this experience with us. Thanks to all of you who passed out fliers, placed signs in your yards, held signs and honked your horns. And especially thanks for voting.

We had a great time today, and the last several weeks. Thanks again for your help and votes of confidence.

Link to Eagle Mountain City website for election results

Tomorrow we vote, so remember...

I have many people to thank for helping over these past several weeks. Campaigning has been a lot of work but very rewarding to better understand our city. I have been to hundreds of doors, if not a thousand, and have thoroughly enjoyed discussing Eagle Mountain with each of you. And if I missed you, I am sorry and hope to meet your acquaintance over the next 4 years.
Eagle Mountain is a wonderful place to call home; it is full of talent in our residents and full of opportunity in our city. I hope to be able to serve on the City Council and contribute through study, work and vote to improve our city.
What needs to improve?
1) Where are all the businesses? The incumbents have had their time and little has really been accomplished to bring businesses here. We continually hear about plans and what's in the works, but nothing ever comes. More can be accomplished, Economic Development can be improved.
2) The city code still maintains multiple chapters than need to be updated and corrected. Those few residents that have businesses in Eagle Mountain know the difficulty of setting up shop and then the stress of staying open. They can't advertise along Ranches Parkway like the home builders can. The sign ordinance can be changed and improved.
3) The city is 13 years old and it is still illegal for anyone to ride their ATV's and dirt bikes to the hills. The city has taken minimal, if any, steps to drive this effort to identify trail heads, negotiate easements and mark pathways for off-road vehicles. I am already in contact with both the BLM and the OHV Committee for Utah to start progressing this effort. OHV trails and pathways need to be accomplished and this can be improved.
4) Everyone loves parks and open spaces, but these areas must be well placed and well kept. City owned land needs to set the standard for how residents are required to maintain our land. It is inconsistent for the city to fine a resident for a non-landscaped yard, while across the street city land has foot high weeds and tumble weeds growing. We deserve to have the city enforce the same code on themselves that they enforce on us. The city code enforcement on open spaces needs to be improved, especially on the city.

Eagle Mountain needs to transition into tomorrow and move beyond yesterday's embarrassment. We need new leadership with fresh ideas and the ability to do more than maintain status quo and not commit crimes. Eagle Mountain is our town and we can do more to enrich our community, the place we call home. Vote John Painter for City Council on Tuesday.

Harry Potter themed Halloween in Chilton Circle

We passed out 6 gallons of Hot Chocolate, lots of candy & talked with lots of residents. Special Thanks to Kerri and Troy Enniss for hosting the Harry Potter Block Party. Thank you Eagle Mountain Residents for allowing me to get to know you all better. Remember on Tues Nov. 3rd VOTE JOHN PAINTER!

How'd I get that money?

A very busy 48 hours has passed. I have received emails and phone calls. I wasn't aware of how critically the financial contributions would be analyzed. Perhaps somewhat due to being relatively unaware of the impact of certain contributors on the city in the past and somewhat due to continually looking for the best in others. I want to share some thoughts regarding this topic.

I've lived in Eagle Mountain for over 3 years. I've heard stories of our cities past and read the embarrassing news articles written by local media. Hoping and wanting to be a part of transitioning Eagle Mountain beyond "those days" is part of the reason I am running for city council. I am not naive or stupid regarding certain individuals and the impact they've had on the city, although I am certain I have heard some embellishments as well as I am certain I haven't heard all the truths. I had no one ask me to run for council nor have I counseled with or received recommendations from anyone who financially contributed to my campaign, except of course my father and wife.

When I began my contribution seeking, I went to the city recorder and submitted a GRAMA request to pull the last 2 elections financial disclosures. I wrote down the names of those who had contributed significantly, >$200 and it was my intention to contact them on my behalf. It was through this process that I contacted my contributors, as well as many others who weren't in a financial position to contribute to this election as they had in the past. In addition I solicited funds from my dentist, my insurance agent, my family, my in-laws, my friends and neighbors. If there are questions about any relationships I have with any developers in Eagle Mountain I will answer them. Basically, I went to them because they had contributed in the past.

I have tried to run an honest and truthful campaign. I believe the city, the candidates and I have all benefited from focusing and discussing on the issues of Eagle Mountain. I will not be a puppet nor will I be pressured into doing things bad for the city or against my personal belief. I truly believe that Eagle Mountain has a great future full of opportunity. I want to be a part of transitioning into that future. I have prepared myself academically and professionally to contribute on many levels and look forward to the being able to represent the residents of Eagle Mountain.