Murray adopts plan to open Little Cottonwood Creek around Murray Central station

What changed

Murray now has an adopted long-range plan for the half mile around its Murray Central transit hub, which calls for opening up Little Cottonwood Creek and adding a transit plaza and a raised walkway over the tracks. The City Council voted 5-0 on Nov. 10 to add the Murray Central Station Area Plan to the city's 2017 general plan. ^[1][2][3]

The plan does not change any zoning. City staff member David Rodgers told the council it is a visioning document, and that carrying it out would mean revising some zones or adopting a form-based code later. ^[1]

Why the city needed it

Rodgers said state law requires cities with fixed-route transit stations to plan for a half-mile radius around them. Murray Central is served by the TRAX Blue and Red lines, FrontRunner and the MVX bus rapid transit line, and Rodgers said the plan covers all of them. City staff said the plan was prepared with the Utah Transit Authority and the Wasatch Front Regional Council. ^[1]

What the plan calls for

The plan divides the area into four districts: a transit-oriented district around the TRAX and FrontRunner stations, the historic downtown, an office park district near 5300 South and I-15, and a Cottonwood Creek Village district. Rodgers said the city sees the area as a job center, noting one of the county's largest employers is already there, with some housing as well. ^[1]

The open space section would open the Little Cottonwood Creek corridor to connect the Jordan River Parkway with Murray Park, and add a transit plaza on what is now parking next to the TRAX station. A rendering showed an elevated path from the plaza to FrontRunner so riders would not have to cross the tracks at grade, which Rodgers said would improve safety. Other ideas include easier crossings to the hospital, possible lane changes and a festival street near the museum. ^[1]

In a public survey for the plan, Rodgers said, most respondents rated transit at the station as very important but said they use it zero to three days a month. Asked what would help them reach the station, respondents named better sidewalks, more bike lanes, covered walkways and more bus routes. ^[1]

Money and next steps

Asked where funding would come from, Rodgers said the plan lists possible sources, including federal money through the Wasatch Front Regional Council and county grants. A city staff member added that the regional council has given the city roughly $150,000, by the speaker's estimate, to rewrite its code as a form-based code. City planning staff said a feasibility study for a path along Little Cottonwood Creek has been funded through the Utah Trail Network, and that the transit authority has told the city the area is one of its higher priorities for developing its property. ^[1]

No members of the public spoke at the hearing. Council members Diane Turner, Adam Hock, Paul Pickett Acevedo, Pam Cotter and Clark Bullen all voted yes. ^[1][3]

Other business

In separate 5-0 votes, the council also raised fees at Murray Parkway golf course by $2, which a city staff member said is the first increase since 2022, and formally acknowledged receipt of the city's independent audit for fiscal 2025-26. ^[1][2][3]