Station Park: When Transit-Oriented Development Isn’t

When the location for the Farmington FrontRunner station was chosen, the land next to it was vacant and ripe for development.  There was a lot of talk of using the land to create “transit-oriented development.”  It’s potential was even mentioned in a 2007 New York Times article.  Unfortunately, just as staying in the presidential suite at a hotel does not make you the President, building a development next to a train station does not make it transit-oriented.  I’m not exactly sure where the planning process went wrong in Farmington, but I am well-aware that what has been built there is not what the planners at UTA had envisioned.  I usually hop on FrontRunner and make a visit there once every couple months.  Walking from the station to the shops, restaurants, and theater requires traversing a vast parking lot with a high risk of being struck by a soccerparent (trying to be gender neutral) driving a minivan.  I made a visit there this afternoon and snapped a few photos.

IMAG0265Here’s a view of the Farmington FrontRunner station looking down from the station’s pedestrian bridge which crosses over the FrontRunner and Union Pacific tracks.  To the right lies Station Park.
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Another shot from the pedestrian bridge.  In the foreground is UTA’s park and ride.  In the background lies the core of Station Park, which is still under construction.
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What was intended to be a transit-oriented development, looks just like typical suburban sprawl.
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The parking lot is vast!
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They have a fleet of golf carts offering to ferry patrons across the vast parking lot.  Walkability is a key aspect of transit-oriented development, which is something that Station Park lacks.
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Fortunately, there is a gem at the heart of Station Park.  A beautiful space lies at the center featuring a fountain and playground, which is ringed by the Cinemark Theatre, restaurants, and shops.  Unfortunately, the gem is surrounded by sprawling parking lots.

I can’t help but think of what Station Park could have been.  It could have been a showcase for mix-used, transit-oriented development complete with apartments, condos, and offices.  Instead, we have the typical big-box suburban retail center built next to a train station with a few extra amenities added to make the mediocrity easier to accept.  I’m disappointed that we keep letting this kind of failure occur.