Here are Kevin Poff's responses to questions he was asked by email:

Q: What is your vision for the commercial growth of west Farmington in particular and other areas of Farmington?
A: Since the city has already designated the area between the rail line, the freeway, and Clark Lane as an area for major development, the question at this point is how the development will turn out.  While on the planning commission, I lobbied hard for a few principles that I thought were key to all of the commercial projects that have been proposed in the area.  First, I think it is critical that we try and maximize the use of Frontrunner.  It's one thing for local people to use it to get to and from work in Salt Lake and Ogden.  I think we should also be pushing for the kinds of things that will encourage people to use the train to come to Farmington.  While many of the shoppers will still bring a car, there will be less traffic if people use the train to come see a movie and go out to dinner.  The more walkable we make the project, the fewer cars we will have to deal with.  I agree with the mixed-use approach, which will help to keep the area from becoming a ghost town after 5:00 pm.  While we certainly don't want a swinging night life, we also don't want a vacant breeding ground for mischief.

That leads to my second priority for the commercial development in west Farmington.  That is to ensure that Park Lane and Clark Lane do not bog down, effectively isolating the residents of west Farmington from the rest of town or the freeways.  We already have more stoplights on Park Lane than the nightmare interchange near the Layton Mall that many people cite as the example of what should be avoided.  The biggest problem with the Layton Mall interchange is not so much those who exit and enter the freeway to go to the mall, but rather with those who seek to simply travel from one side of the freeway to the other.  Many people will tell you that traffic flows well in and out of the mall when you measure the number of cars that move.  However, getting people through the area is what takes forever.  From the very beginning, I have fought to minimize the cross traffic and addition of intersections on Park Lane.  There are several options that would still allow traffic to flow through, while providing for the movement in and out of development on both sides of the roadway.

My third priority for the commercial development in west Farmington is to make sure that whatever happens doesn't negatively impact the neighborhoods that are already there.  When Craig Kartchner, John Bilton, and I worked on the study committee to look at revisions for the Transportation Mixed Use(TMU) zone text, one of the first baseline requirements we set was to establish a buffer zone anywhere the mixed use zone bordered a residential zone. We worked hard throughout the process to limit the size, height, and activities of businesses that would be next to homes. I've already mentioned my concerns about traffic.  If it is done properly, the commercial development can be an asset to those who live in west Farmington.  If it is done wrong, it could be a nightmare.

Q: With the changes in the economy what will be your approach to residential development in Farmington?
A: With the current economic situation, the pace of building in Farmington has slowed tremendously.  When I first joined the planning commission, meetings routinely went until 11:00 pm.  I have been told by current commissioners that this year most of the meetings have concluded in less than 45 minutes.  However, as the economy improves, we will again see the pace of construction pick up.  As property owners submit petitions to change zoning on property or submit subdivision plans, we are obligated to hear them.

Because of legal restrictions on property regulation, the city actually has limited power to govern how much residential development can occur.  Unless we can prove that there are legitimate safety concerns, or that the well being of the community is in jeopardy, we cannot simply say no to a development.  That means we have a couple of challenges when faced with proposed development.

The first challenge is to try and insure that new developments do not adversely affect existing ones.  In west Farmington, this usually involves concerns about traffic and the updating of existing roads and connections.  It also involves open space issues.  In the past, the city has tried to encourage open spaces by allowing homes to be placed closer together.  I think that policy has accomplished many of its goals, but I do understand that it is a different approach than many of our older residents had anticipated.

I hear from many people that they wish the city would do more to preserve farmland. I will always defend a person's right to farm their land.  If we move in next to fields or pastures, we cannot expect to complain about machinery noise or animals that smell or get out.  My grandfather ran a dairy farm with 120 acres in crops.  The problem is that the city does not have the authority to tell someone that they must continue to grow corn when they choose to build houses.  The only people who can preserve farmland are the owners.  To my knowledge, none of them have placed development easements on their farms.

We are left with some ability to guide developments in the direction we think benefits the city and residents.  We can require wider streets and designs that promote traffic movement and emergency services.  We can encourage trees and wider sidewalks to facilitate walkable neighborhoods where people are more likely to see their neighbors. We can require that services like water and sewer are available before allowing construction.  There are many times when discussions on the planning commission led to improvements in the design of neighborhoods that were built.  We also encouraged dialogue between builders and local residents during the planning stages.  All of these things, I believe, created stronger neighborhoods for those who eventually lived there.

Another issue that frequently is raised when developments come through is that of design elements.  People are rightfully concerned that new developments will complement existing ones.  I agree, up to a point.  However, I have always felt that the city sometimes oversteps its jurisdiction in trying to dictate design elements in a development.  Matters of personal taste should be left up to the homeowner.  If you want to paint your house blue, or have a certain type of fence, or use stucco instead of brick, you should not have to change your plans just because I might prefer something else.

Q: Please state your position on the Legacy North to Legacy Parkway connector?
A: I remember when I first began serving on the planning commission, and we were told that there were NO concrete plans for connecting the North Legacy with the South.  We immediately began planning for options that would provide some kind of corridor for the road.  Imagine that kind of traffic emptying into neighborhood streets and winding their way to the freeway again.  That was the scenario that was explained to us. From the beginning, we tried to find options that would minimize impact on present and future homes.  Our first attempt was the "flyover" on I-15, near Shepard Lane.  We knew from the start that it was not an ideal option, but it did start the ball rolling, and soon, UDOT was talking about options.

Many of you already know that UDOT's preferred option was not what any of us wanted.  We were alarmed when they first proposed a major road through the center of west Farmington, and amazed when they returned a few months later to propose basically the same thing. Many of you were probably at both of those meetings.

My personal preference for the connection has always been as far west as possible.  I believe that it would be a good option for flood control, as well as provide additional exit options for the residents of west Farmington.  When Station Park comes into being, I think you will need other options for coming and going.  I think the current proposed alignment is probably the best we can get at the present time, and I give credit to the city staff who have worked to find something that UDOT prefers over their previous route.  Unfortunately, the federal studies will place wetlands over people every time.  Finding a route that uses mostly existing rights-of-way is the key to getting the road out west.  Would I personally prefer it still farther west? Yes, I would.  I honestly hope that the 15-20 years it will take to actually build the road will allow state and federal policies to change and let us readjust the road westward in the future.  At present, however, I believe the current alignment is the least disruptive for Farmington as a whole, and for west Farmington particularly.  I understand that it will cause some pain, but from all that I have seen, other options will cause more.

Q: What perspective can you give on the recently passed Farmington City Master Transportation Plan? What impacts do you see on west Farmington from the changes in the Transportation Master Plan?
A: Many of these issues have been discussed in the above sections, but I was involved in the early discussions of the updated Master Plan, and I do believe that we need to identify, well ahead of time, where we think roads should go.  To leave everything to chance would be irresponsible.  I also believe, however, that the Master Plan should not be treated as a final word on future alignments.  If we find something that works better in the future, we should be willing to adjust the Master Plan accordingly.  I view the document as a best guess at future needs, and something that should be consistently reviewed and updated.

If we do things properly, the impacts on west Farmington will be neighborhood and collector streets that move traffic safely and efficiently, so you can all get in and out easily.  If we get it wrong, you will all be cut off from the rest of the world during peak traffic hours, and your streets will be crowded and unsafe.  While on the planning commission, I was constantly talking about protecting traffic options in west Farmington.

We should also recognize that right now, west Farmington is in a between stage.  The old farm roads are not sufficient to move much of the traffic that is already present, but new development has not yet provided all of the roads that will bring the solution.  To be bluntly honest, it will take a few years to get roads in west Farminton where they need to be.

Q: What changes if any do you want enacted in Farmington and Farmington City government?
A: I think we should continue efforts to both educate and inform our citizens about the issues, and increase involvement of citizens in working out solutions.  While on the planning commission, I discovered that many people didn't understand the zoning regulations they live in, let alone the impacts of new proposals.  Also, many people do not understand all of the future trends that are coming into our city.

Another area where I think change could benefit us is in the Arts Council.  While this is not specifically a west Farmington issue, I know that many of our citizens have been involved in past efforts.  While we have some very dedicated people working to keep the programs going, I think they have been hobbled by some of the recent decisions at the city level.  In the past few years, I have seen a drop in the number of people who participate in the Arts programs.  Farmington's traditional strength was that we included vast numbers of people beyond other arts programs around the county and state.  In my opinion, we had the best community arts program around.  I would like to see city policies change to reflect past practices that created a successful program.  Two of the things I would change first would be the fees for participation and the priority for use of the community arts center for arts programs.

Q: What Farmington issues are most important to you?
A: Just what you have asked already.  Growth is the big one (both residential and commercial), and transportation issues (both local and regional) are second.  Those are the things that will come into being during the next few years, and they will shape the nature of our city for decades to come.  We have got to get it right.

Q: What else do you want said about you on farmingtoncitizens.org?
A: I feel that I have a proven record during my time on the planning commission for defending and preserving the things that people in west Farmington value.  I believe that those sames issues are also good for Farmington as whole.  I do my best to hear from all sides before making a decision, and I'm always willing to tell you why I voted the way I did.