Weber Co. leaders ask Utah Inland Port Authority to adopt plan for new inland port

Kade Garner
·2 min read

WEBER COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) — Weber County leaders are asking the Utah Inland Port Authority to adopt a plan that would set aside nearly 9,000 acres of land for a new inland port.

The port is about nine times larger than initially planned. While this size has some worried, Weber County officials said they want people who live in the area to understand that the inland port is not a new idea — this area was set aside for industrial use 50 years ago.

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Commissioner Gage Froerer said the biggest reason county officials want the inland port is to create jobs for people who want to work and stay in Weber County.

“We envision high-paying jobs. More of what we call manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing jobs; not that there wouldn’t be some type of warehouse facility,” Froerer said.

The original plan for the port called for about 1,000 acres. The new plan calls for nearly 9,000 acres, split into two separate areas.

According to Froerer, this is not prime farm ground. Most of the area is non-irrigated, he said.

Froerer said if accepted, the inland port will pay for infrastructure like roads, water, and sewer systems in the area and will help the development of the Western Weber Corridor.

“Again, it gives us the ability to use that, to tap that as an additional funding mechanism and still have the ability to decide and make the decisions on what companies, what types of companies, best fit into the Weber County area,” Froerer said.

Some residents are concerned about the newly proposed plan.

Jackie Kent, of Weber County, expressed concern over the disconnect between what is actually happening and what the public has been made aware of. Few people knew about the plan, she said.

“We’ll just have to stay on top of this in order to make sure that whatever development happens is in line with not what was appropriate 50 years ago. It’s a different world,” Kent said.

Additionally, some worry about how the port will affect the Great Salt Lake, but according to Utah Inland Port Authority, while the port will be near the Great Salt Lake, the money it will bring into the area means more money to fund conservation efforts.

The Utah Inland Port Authority could be making a decision on the proposal next Wednesday.

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