BOX ELDER COUNTY, Utah — The Utah Inland Port Authority approved the plan and budget for Utah's fourth port site Monday afternoon. The Golden Spike Inland Port will have project areas in Box Elder County cities Brigham City, Garland, and Tremonton.
Over the years, Tremonton Mayor Lyle Holmgren says he's seen the negative impacts of a lack of economic diversity in his small town.
"We'd go to school and one of our friends wasn't there anymore, and then another time someone else wasn't there, and this went on and on, those families were dismissed," Holmgren said. He learned when one main job provider got the sniffles, Tremonton got the flu.
Brigham City Mayor DJ Bott says thousands of residents leave Brigham City to go to work daily.
"We've identified or know that we have at least 4,000 of our 20,000 citizens. Of course there's kids in there, but that's quite a few people that are commuting past the county line to work," Bott said.
Now both, along with other city county leaders, are hopeful the Golden Spike Inland Port Project will change that.
"The excitement is that we could get industry up here that would pay the same amount or at least close enough that would offset what they would lose in travel and be able to stay at home," Bott said.
"It brings in the jobs, but it doesn't require a lot of infrastructure in terms of water use, sewer demand, that some of these other industries have done," Holmgren said.
While some are excited for the economic opportunities the port will provide for Box Elder County, others have concerns about the health of residents and the environment as well as development concerns.
"Lighting could be a concern," said one Box Elder County resident. "Businesses coming in, having a place for their truckers to actually park when they make their deliveries — those of us who live around it should not have to bear the brunt of that."
City mayors are working to address residents' concerns as the project moves forward, but leaders are also optimistic about how the port will transform Box Elder County.
"This is one step to making Box Elder County an area that has more advanced manufacturing jobs, an area that has more high-paying professional jobs that can keep our kids and grandchildren here and close to us," said one panelist.
Since the plan and budget have been approved, the tax differential will begin to be invested in the area for the next 25 years.
