The Utah Inland Port Authority (UIPA) voted to adopt the county’s West Weber Project Area plan in May, clearing the way for the development of a 9,000-acre inland port. Prior to that vote, some within the local community — and others from outside the county’s borders — expressed concern over the potential impact such development would have on area wetlands, wildlife and people who live and work throughout the region.

Port opponents had also criticized what they perceived to be a lack of transparency/public process in the plan’s adoption.

Attendees for Wednesday’s meeting included representatives from advocacy groups, Weber County officials, Steven Van Wagoner — a candidate for Weber County commissioner — and also a number of local farmers and other residents.

Rhonda Lauritzen of Hooper served as emcee for the meeting, during which complaints and questions regarding port plans were logged and a group brainstorming session was also held. After the meeting, Lauritzen told the Standard-Examiner that the concerns raised would eventually be presented to officials.

“The next step will be to fact check and answer all the questions; pull facts on everything that was asked, then call a second meeting — look to see how we can engage with the [Weber County Commission] and the Port Authority so that we can be part of the process,” she said.

Lauritzen opined that coming to a greater understanding with county/port officials and actually affecting development in a meaningful way would likely require a long-term, concerted effort, however.

“We’re also recognizing this is a marathon, not a sprint. It could take years for this to happen,” Lauritzen said. “So, we’ve got to be on it and stay on it and have community engagement for the long haul.”

For her part, former Ogden City Council member Amy Wicks was encouraged by the turnout and the level of participation that occurred during the meeting.

“I think it went really well. I’m impressed,” Wicks told the Standard-Examiner. “This is a huge cross-section of Weber County. There are a lot of people who live in the neighborhood, there are others who are birders. … I’ve never seen such a diverse group of people come together for a meeting.”

Concerns that were mentioned during the meeting included Great Salt Lake and area wetland preservation, the quality of wetland mitigation proposed by the port/county, port impact on public health and the environment due to pollution from industry and increased traffic, the potential presence of Native American cultural resources in the development area, tax increment financing of the project, the types of businesses that would be courted and more.

Meanwhile, Wicks reiterated her belief that residents should have a greater hand in determining the area’s future than they’ve been given previously.

“It’s just the lack of public engagement from the City Council or the County Commission is concerning, especially for something of this magnitude,” she said.

Weber County officials who were in attendance for the meeting declined to comment on what transpired during the gathering. Prior to the event, though, county spokesperson Jessika Clark told the Standard-Examiner via email that the county had not received many complaints/concerns following UIPA’s adopting of the Project Area plan in May. She also provided the following statement:

“We encourage Weber County residents to educate themselves on the West Weber Project Area and we understand that there are concerns about wetland preservation, pollution, etc. Please know that the Utah Inland Port Authority (UIPA) is just one of the County’s many partners in this area. The County is also adhering to strict wetland and pollution regulations at the state and federal levels, as well as UIPA’s regulations.

“Residents can view the Project Area plan and wetlands strategy at https://inlandportauthority.utah.gov/westweber/ and Listening Session at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Nj01HdLJcs. For other questions or concerns, please contact the Weber County Economic Development Department at srussell@webercountyutah.gov.”