South Jordan Focus Newsletter April 2024

Planning is one of the most complicated functions of municipal government. Planning can be the difference between thriving cities with a healthy tax base and communities that can barely keep up with providing needed infrastructure and services. City Planning is often misunderstood and gets a bad rap— understandably because residents and stakeholders can have opposite visions for the future, and when any decision is made, one side may not be happy. Outside entities and neighboring communities often impact plans. On top of the usual challenges, South Jordan faces the unique pressure of being one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation for the better part of a decade. Growth and change are difficult. South Jordan’s leaders have been balancing the many differing opinions, needs, and property rights of the community in the face of that growth.

Their efforts have been consistently recognized, with South Jordan being named one of the top 50 of “America’s Best Places to Live” by Money.com. The City was also named WalletHub’s 2nd Best City for Access to Resources and the 22nd Best Place Overall in America for 2018. The City was honored in 2017 by USA Today as one of the Top 50 Best Cities in America to Live In, with the highest ranking of any city in the state.

Additionally, South Jordan’s Daybreak Community was named the Best Place in America to Retire, by Where to Retire Magazine. These accolades are in no small part due to the City’s planning efforts.

We often are asked, “What is the City doing to manage growth?” Whether residents want to see the City grow or stop growing altogether, both groups want to know how it manages that growth and all it entails—infrastructure, resource management, economic development, housing availability, etc.

How the City Plans for the Future

South Jordan plans as much as 30 years at a time, updating plans as varying market and societal changes occur. Municipal planners can plan for the future using the general plan, small area plans, zoning, transportation plans, and regional plans. They also influence various county and state boards that make decisions on broader planning initiatives and funding. Some of the City’s adopted plans are

• South Jordan General Plan: This plan guides future growth and investment while preserving the City’s high quality of life and unique character.

• Transportation Master Plan: This plan aims to plan for the future multi-

modal transportation needs of South Jordan City, given the future land use plans.

• Moderate Housing Plan: The purpose of this plan is to understand and forecast needs for affordable housing as directed by the State legislature.

• Active Transportation Plan: This plan provides the groundwork for enhancing active transportation in the community by presenting a vision for future active transportation projects and showing how to realize them.

• Parks & Open Space Master Plan: This plan identifies community goals and objectives related to parks, recreation, arts, trails, and open space and includes a list of prioritized implementation strategies.

• Water Shortage Management Plan: This plan is intended to preserve and protect the public health, safety, and welfare during drought, temporary water shortages, and supply interruptions.

Outside Limitations

One of the biggest misconceptions about municipal planning is thinking cities can do more than is in their control. There are numerous limitations,

including the following:

• Property owner rights and previously approved development agreements and zoning

• State laws and mandates, which change every legislative session

• Other cities’ zoning decisions. The City has no control over what the county or other cities do with their zoning, even if it impacts our residents.

• Market conditions. As we’ve seen in the last few years, market conditions

and infrastructure needs can change, as well as demand for different product types and land uses.

• What other partners or entities are doing, namely UDOT, UTA, Salt Lake County, Jordan School District, South Valley Sewer, or other state entities that are not subject to local zoning.

Though the City doesn’t control these factors, Mayor Dawn Ramsey, the City Council, and staff spend many hours meeting with outside entities to ensure we have a voice as they make planning

decisions. For example, the Mayor and City Council advocated for all three Bangerter interchanges in South Jordan to route under roads. This influenced a change to UDOT’s original plans and resulted in the unique and improved interchanges desired by City residents.

The City considers all resources and limitations to ensure it follows the law, thinks ahead, and makes the best possible decision on behalf of residents. To view the above plans and more, visit our website at www.sjc.utah.gov.

DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE!

According to the CDC, every day 32 people in the United States die in crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver. Always use a designated driver or a rideshare company.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO OPEN A CITY COUNCIL MEETING?

The City invites any who are willing to volunteer their time a chance to open our City Council meeting with a thought, prayer, reading or invocation.

The purpose is to allow a wide variety of community members to speak and become involved in our civic process. The presentations are intended to be nondenominational and non-proselytizing in character; however, the City will not dictate the form or content of any such presentation.

If you would like to schedule a presentation for the opening ceremony at a City Council Meeting, South Jordan City Council meets the first and third Tuesday of each month. Presentations are less than two minutes.

If you’d like to present, reach out to the City Recorder, Anna Crookston, and let her know if you would like the presentation to be listed as a prayer, reading, or thought.

acrookston@sjc.utah.gov

City Event Calendar

City Hall at 1600 W. Towne Center Dr. & Online sjc.utah.gov/city-council

9:00 AM–1:00 PM

Community

March was Women’s History Month, and over the past several weeks my thoughts have turned to some of the incredible women who have done great things for South Jordan over the past 165 years. I would like to highlight a few of them with appreciation.

Ann Holt was born in England in 1827. Together with her husband Matthew Holt, and his parents, she came to the United States, eventually making their way to Utah as members of the McArthur Wagon Train Company. When they arrived in Salt Lake City in October of 1863, they met James Oliver, who brought the Holt family to South Jordan. Eight people lived in their one room dugout on the bank of the Jordan River, with a fireplace, dirt floors, and a dirt roof. Matthew Holt worked hard and eventually built a three room adobe home, located at approximately 1300 West and 10300 South, where they lived for the rest of their lives.

Back in England, Ann had studied medicine and become a midwife. She delivered over 500 babies in the south end of the valley, charging $2 for the delivery, unless the family could not afford it. In that case she would pin $1 to the pillowcase and leave it for the new baby. Ann served as the first Relief Society President in South Jordan, being called in 1869 and serving for 32 years until her death in 1901 at age 74. The Holt family is one of the founding families of South Jordan, and Ann had a significant influence on shaping our new community.

Mabel Holt Nelson, known to most

as “Aunt Mame,” lived nearly all of her 99 years in South Jordan. Born in 1905 in South Jordan to Samuel E. Holt and Margaret Beckstead, Aunt Mame was the oldest living resident in South Jordan when she passed in 2004. Aunt Mame was known for welcoming everyone and treating them to a bag of popcorn when they visited her home, which she inherited from her parents. In her kitchen hung a sign reading, “My home is open to sunshine, friends and guests,” and those who knew her say she lived by the words on a crossed-stitched pillow on her bed, “All things grow with love.” Aunt Mame worked as a beautician and was preceded in death by her husband, Henry. She loved her family’s farm and said of their historic home, “This is home for everyone. They are always welcome. It’s always home.” Mabel Holt Nelson was named South Jordan’s Citizen of the Year in 2000. Following that recognition she told the Deseret News, “I’ve just had a wonderful life here in South Jordan. Everyone would be blessed if they could grow up in South Jordan and live here.” Aunt Mame will always be loved and remembered here. The Samuel E. Holt Farmstead is now a community park owned by the City, with a fire pit, community gardens, restrooms, a small pavilion, and historical plaques for self-guided tours.

Luane Jensen has lived in South Jordan for the past 50 years, and her efforts have helped shape so much of what we enjoy in our city today. Together with her dear friends Jeanne Jackman and the late Jean Beckstead Batemen, along with countless others, she has served tirelessly in our community, donating hundreds of hours annually to programs, projects, and veterans in the City. Just a few of the notable endeavors

Luane and her many “teammates” have been involved in include the creation of the Gale Center of History and Culture, South Jordan Town Days (now known as SoJo Summerfest), the Birthplace of South Jordan monument, and the Veteran’s Memorial Monument located at the South Jordan Cemetery. She has also been a scout leader to hundreds of young men in South Jordan over the past five decades.

In 2017 Luane was honored for her extensive volunteer service when she received the UServe Power of Service Award, a recognition from the lieutenant governor’s office. She continues to serve as a member of South Jordan’s Historical Society and as a docent at the Gale Center. She works with the City to coordinate the annual Memorial Day event at the South Jordan Cemetery, and in 2018 she began coordinating the Veteran’s Day Breakfast at the Community Center, in partnership with the City. Luane knows pretty much everything that’s happened in South Jordan over the past 50 years. She’s led by example as she’s enlisted the help of countless volunteers and scouts, secured donations, placed flags on the graves of our veterans, and honored the military service and rich history of our beautiful South Jordan. Luane has been a great influence on the way the City has grown, with an unwavering commitment to the preservation of our history. She, along with Jean and Jeanne, and so many others, have created a legacy that is ours to uphold, and we could not be more grateful for it.

Luane Jensen receiving the Governor’s Award for volunteer services in 2017