“I’m doing my best to repair past damage,” Mayor Ralph Becker said in an address to the Davis Chamber of Commerce.
Relations soured greatly between the two entities during the administration of Rocky Anderson, who led the fight against Legacy Highway’s construction.
“Being sensitive to commuters and neighborhoods, we are all in this together. This is a global economy,” Becker said.
“There are issues that know no boundaries,” he said, referring to his frequent attendance at the Davis County Council of Governments.
“I’ve met with (Bountiful) Mayor Joe Johnson on a variety of things. There are so many things where we can work together,” Becker said.
He has also interacted with some Davis County legislators, including veteran Bountiful House of Representatives member Sheryl Allen.
The mayor brought out several issues where Davis County and his city should work together: connecting the Jordan River Salt Lake City trail system to the Legacy Parkway’s trails network; development of a regional recreation complex that hugs the North Salt Lake border; cooperation in developing downtown Salt Lake City’s Broadway-style theater complex.
“Even though it was incredibly painful, the end result, and the amenities (of Legacy Parkway) are really of enormous value,” Becker told the group meeting at The Canterbury Place.
“I wish it had been a lot less adversarial. We’ve embarked on a new era between Davis County and Salt Lake City.
“For us (SLC) to be successful, we need to treat you as full neighbors and partners,” he emphasized. “We need to look forward and work together so the whole neighborhood can benefit.”
Of the proposed downtown theater, Becker said, “I think it will benefit the whole region. We are working on finalizing development with a third party” of what he termed the Utah Performance Center.
“We have great performances from touring companies and quality participation. That’s a part of our culture since the area was settled,” he said.
But as far as Broadway shows, “we don’t have a theater big enough. They won’t come here now. There is a need for it. It can be successful,” the mayor said, adding, “there has to be value added, not take away from existing theaters.”
Turning to the recreation project, he said, “We are working to pull it together. We weren’t looking for any financial support from Davis County. The property is owned by the state. We’re working to get it into Salt Lake City.”
But Davis County residents could benefit greatly, Becker said, thanks to its location adjoining the county.
Improvements to Beck Street, one of the “gateways” that Davis County motorists can take into the capital city, are “very early into development,” he said.
An “energy zone” is among ideas being looked at by the Salt Lake City Council, he said. That would capitalize on the area’s already-long-time energy role, including the oil refineries, that spill over into Davis County.
“I believe there could be a real future in creation of green jobs. I want to make sure we focus on that,” he said.
tbusselberg@davisclipper.com
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