CENTERVILLE -- Even cities have dreams for what they want the future to be. The Centerville Planning Commission recently finalized and approved west Centerville's neighborhood plan. The plan, which was begun by city council request several months before, describes the shape and purpose the city plans for future development in the area to take.

"With Legacy Highway coming through and changing the face of the west side, city officials wanted to deal with it in a proactive instead of a reactive way," said Centerville Community Development Director Cory Snyder. "It's the basics of what a community wants to be when it grows up."

The 29-page plan, which can be found at either Centerville's public works building or city hall, divides the west side into six districts, including the planned Legacy Preserve. The plan is scheduled to be formally approved by the city council at possibly their March 20 meeting.

Older buildings in the city's current business park district will be upgraded, big box stores will be limited, and heavy industry restricted to the southwest corner of the district. Metal buildings will be required to add other architectural elements to improve their appearance.

One of the two new districts planned for the area is the Shorelands Commerce Park District, which will be located north of Centerville's business park between the Legacy Parkway and preserve. This is the major area that will be served by Centerville's planned frontage road along the parkway.

Part of this property is currently owned by Bob and Randy Harmon, who Centerville city officials have been told intend to convert it into a business park for manufacturing and high-technology industries. North of this, the city intends to put in smaller stores and homes as a transition up to Farmington.

The other area that Centerville plans to develop is the Parrish-Legacy Corridor District, which city officials hope will serve as the primary entryway into the city from Salt Lake City. Business in this area will be smaller and more customer-based, with a possible size cap. Visually, the area will reflect the presence of the nearby preserve.

According to the written plan, "The goal of this corridor is to create a positive visual experience or impression for arriving and leaving Centerville City."

Roads are also a major focus of the west Centerville plan, including developing the sheep road that runs along the west side of the neighborhood into another major roadway connecting Centerville's business district and Farmington.

Centerville's 1250 West is also intended for a boulevard-style facelift, including a traffic light, metal street signs, major landscaping that can survive dry weather and attractive fencing to block some of the internal areas of the business park.

Environmentally, the west side will attempt to preserve and reclaim wetland areas that will not be part of the Legacy Preserve and watch construction so that it doesn't harm these areas. Also, Centerville will attempt to fully integrate the city's trail system with the Legacy Parkway for maximum use.

Despite the plan's completion, it will likely take several years before residents see the ideas translated into reality. In the meantime, Snyder and the planning commission still have plenty to work on.

"We're nowhere near done," said Snyder. "There are still four other neighborhoods we have to get through with, not to mention Main Street."

jwardell@davisclipper.com