Hey Eagle Mountain,

Happy Monday! No school today, 68° on the way, and some important items for you to be aware of. Let's jump straight into it.

Weather this week:

A great stretch of weather ahead. Enjoy it while it lasts!

🏫 No school today — Alpine School District professional development day.
District calendar →

🏛️ Planning Commission meets tomorrow — Tuesday, March 10, 5:30 PM.
Noise ordinance proposal, 300+ new homes under review, and more. Details below.
Agenda →

🚌 Coming this year: On-demand transit for Eagle Mountain.
Utah County confirmed a new van-based service launching in August that will connect Eagle Mountain residents to FrontRunner stations by app at standard UTA fares. Nothing to act on yet, but worth knowing it's in the pipeline.
Details →

If you've got kids home today and the weather is calling you out the door, here are five trails in Eagle Mountain to enjoy. Most popular trails are reporting dry or ideal conditions, but just watch for mud in shaded switchbacks.

Prayer Flag Hill (Treadstone Trail) — The Ranches | 1–1.6 mi round trip
Easy knoll hike decorated with colorful prayer flags at the top. Wide views of Utah Lake and Eagle Mountain City Center. No shade — perfect for a sunny day like today.

Turtle Hill (Turtle Peak) — Near Cory Wride Park | 1.4 mi round trip
A wide, gradual trail good for young kids. Popular for spotting desert cottontail rabbits and lizards, with 360-degree views of the valley.

Hidden Hollow Trails — Behind Hidden Hollow Elementary | 1–3 mi
Multi-use trail system with routes for all levels. Take the gentler switchbacks to reach lookouts with views of Mount Timpanogos.

Golden Eagle Peak (Fremont Springs Trail) — Short and scenic
A quick overlook with views of the Saratoga Springs Temple and Utah Lake. Good for a short morning outing with little ones.

Three Petroglyphs Trail — Near Overland development | 0.4 mi round trip
A short, flat walk to ancient rock art estimated to be up to 10,000 years old.

With roughly 77,000 residents, Eagle Mountain is now about the size of places like Flagstaff, Arizona or Iowa City, Iowa. It's still one of the fastest-growing cities in Utah, and it's no longer a small town running on a small-town budget. It's a true city, and it knows it. This is why you're seeing the city make moves on public safety staffing, infrastructure investment, and long-range planning all at once. It's outgrown its small-town operating model. The Cedar Valley Sentinel covered where things are heading if you want the full picture.
Full story →

Two things worth knowing about tomorrow's meeting.

More homes on the west side. The commission is reviewing plans for 312 new units in the southwest corridor: 270 single-family lots at Overland Village 2 and 42 townhomes near SR-73 and Pole Canyon Blvd.

The noise ordinance conversation continues. In March, the City Council approved a noise exception for the Williams natural gas facility on Meta's campus, allowing it to operate at up to 75 decibels at night. (The standard city limit is 65 dB. For reference: 65 dB is a normal conversation; 75 dB is closer to a vacuum cleaner.) Tomorrow the commission is considering whether to make that same 75 dB threshold the permanent standard across all industrial and LMD zones citywide. This is a public hearing, so residents can speak. I covered the original exception here.

Full agenda →

The public hearing came and went last Thursday, and, surprisingly, I was literally the only one there that wasn't connected to the proposed project. But here's what I did learn.

The hearing was required by state law to give residents a formal opportunity to weigh in before the city moves forward with issuing up to $220 million in water and sewer revenue bonds. Unfortunately, no one submitted questions or concerns or showed up (except me, LOL).

Despite that, the council wanted to share on the record why this water and sewer bond is important. Here's the TL;DR:

Eagle Mountain's water and sewer infrastructure needs significant upgrades to keep pace with the city's growth. This bond allows the city to fund those upgrades now and pay for them over time rather than waiting until the system is overwhelmed.

One thing worth knowing: this bond won't raise your property taxes. It's a revenue bond, meaning it's repaid through water and sewer rates. That likely means utility bills will increase over time to cover the payments, though the city hasn't said by how much yet. That's the number I'll be watching and will share here as soon as it's available.

If you would like to learn more, then check out the city’s agenda and minutes from March 5th. If you have questions or concerns, you can submit a public comment directly, or simply contact the city via email at [email protected].

Frontier Spirit Night at Little Caesars — Tomorrow!
Tuesday, March 10 | 4:00–8:00 PM | Little Caesars, Eagle Mountain
A fundraiser for Frontier Middle School. Dine in or pick up and a portion (20%) goes back to the school. Easy way to feed the family and do a little good tonight.
Details →

Power Hour: Networking for Women
Wednesday, March 11 | 10:00 AM | Chamber Office, 3688 E Campus Dr #101
A morning networking event from the Valley Crossroads Chamber. Free for Chamber members and their guests.
Register →

Eagle Mountain Academy: "Keeping the City Safe"
Wednesday, March 11 | 6:30–8:30 PM | Eagle Mountain Fire Station, 1210 Mid Valley Rd
This week's Academy session focuses on public safety, how it works, and how the city manages it at our current scale. Free for enrolled residents.
Details →

Meta Business Builder Workshop
Thursday–Friday, March 12–13 | Chamber Office, 3688 E Campus Dr #101
A free two-day workshop hosted through the Valley Crossroads Chamber. Check the link to confirm details and register. In-person seating is limited.
Register →

At the Library & Senior Center This Week

I didn't find very many events taking place in Eagle Mountain this weekend, but here's what I did find. Know something I missed? Please reply and let me know.

Family Puzzle Day
Saturday, March 14 | 11:00 AM–1:00 PM | Eagle Mountain City Library, 1650 E. Stagecoach Run
Free, all ages. Come put something together as a family.
Details →

FOH Trails Season Opener & Movie Night
Saturday, March 14 | 6:30–8:30 PM | Herriman Trails
A short drive for the trail community's official kickoff to riding and hiking season, capped off with a movie outside. If you're a trails person, this is your crowd. Check the link for cost and registration.
Details →

Dr. Kandis Taylor Honored for Jazz Education
Cedar Valley High School's Dr. Kandis Taylor was named an Outstanding Jazz Educator by the National Band Association, a national recognition for the work she's doing with student musicians right here in Eagle Mountain. Congratulations, Dr. Taylor!
Read more →

Eagle Mountain City Staff Recognized
At the March 3 City Council meeting, two city staff members received notable honors. David Salazar was recognized with both the Outstanding Intersection Achievement Award and the Outstanding City Engineer Award from the Utah Chapter of APWA. Stormwater Manager Larry Diamond earned the Certified Stormwater Manager designation through the American Public Works Association, and is currently the only person in the state of Utah to hold it. (That’s pretty neat!)

Five residents were also sworn in to the Community Services Board: Jay Johnson, ShaRee Curtis, Charlotte Ducos, Steve Conger, and Jessie Southworth. Debra Kimbrough was appointed to the Senior Advisory Board.

Good neighbors doing good work. Just wanting to make sure they get the recognition they deserve.
Read more →

Eagle Mountain has its own bookstore. You've probably driven past it: a checkered trailer parked at 3726 E. Campus Drive, near Highway 73 and Ranches Parkway.

That's Spellbound Books, founded by local resident Liz Moore. Liz launched it in July 2025 after rediscovering her love of reading while navigating anxiety and depression. Reading became a lifeline, and she decided to build something around that. Her husband and family helped construct the 7×16-foot trailer by hand.

Inside, you'll find a curated selection of new and used romance, fantasy, and thriller titles, plus bookmarks, bookish merchandise, and what Liz calls "bookish treats." Don't see what you're looking for? She can order it for on-demand pickup.

Spellbound is open Monday through Saturday at its regular spot, and Liz pops up at community events and author retreats throughout the year.

Go find your next great read!

spellboundbooksutah.com | All links →

That's your week, Eagle Mountain. If the kids are stir-crazy by 10 AM, Turtle Hill is waiting. If you're headed to City Hall tomorrow, please say hi!

See you around,

— Colten