By KRISTEN SONNE
After exiting I-15 and driving into the city of Lehi, one is met with a clash between the old and the new.
There are the famous Lehi Roller Mills on the right and down the road on the left is a brand-new business district dominated by the Best Western Timpanogos Inn that led the way.
As Utah County moves into the 21st century, Lehi's population is also moving towards an all-time population high.
'Lehi has the potential to be the largest city in the (Utah) county, or at least next to it,' said Mayor Bill Gibbs of Lehi. 'That will happen in the next 25 to 30 years, depending on what the city council does.'
For the past six years, the population in Lehi has continued to grow, and from 1995-96 the population rose by 13.5 percent, according to estimates from Lehi Public Works.
Gibbs said Lehi has grown since he moved there in February 1982.
'A lot of people think Micron has created the growth,' Gibbs said. 'Micron has not created the growth at this time. The growth was coming anyhow. People have been wanting to come to this place. Many people are wanting to develop homes here and housing brings business. I think it will continue for several years.'
Before he became mayor, Gibbs said there were problems with the sewer board and getting extension of sewer lines to accommodate the west. He said in order to develop there, the sewer lines and plant had to expand.
He also said the opening of Thanksgiving Point has contributed to the population growth.
There is also an infrastructure in Lehi from Micron.
'Micron is not the usual,' Gibbs said. 'Micron is acting as banker and funding the city.'
For the most part, he said most cities go into debt and pass bonds.
Court Barker, 1995 BYU graduate and almost 20-year resident of Lehi, said the growth was inevitable.
'For a long time, this area was wide open and peaceful,' Barker said. 'I think change was inevitable and progress is good. Now there is development everywhere, the traffic has increased and there are just a lot more people.'
He also said there are several fast food joints in Lehi, but prior to the recent growth, there were hardly any fast food restaurants.
A new freeway exit making Lehi more accessible and a policy change by the City Council are two reasons Barker speculates of why Lehi has grown.
He said at one time the City Council was negative to commercial development within Lehi because they wanted to make it more residential.
'I don't think anyone is happy with the growth,' Gibbs said. 'Growth happens and we cannot stick our heads in the sand and hide. We need to control the growth and make it beneficial for the youngsters who come along after us.'
Kim Struthers, a planner for Lehi, said the population has almost doubled since 1990.
'Learning to cope with the new growth is hard on the residents who have lived here their whole lives,' he said. 'It has grown out of its small town feel with all the new services. I think it is just a matter of adjusting.'
Just off the I-15 exit to Lehi is a new business district that sprang up at the end of July 1995. The Timpanogos Best Western was the first business to be built right off the highway.
'We built the Best Western here (in Lehi) because there were no other accommodations between south Salt Lake and Provo,' said Margie Hathenbruck, manager of the Best Western Timpanogos Inn.
While corporate business is the main contributor of rooms booked at the Timpanogos Inn, Hathenbruck said local residents also come there to get away.
'We get a lot of residents here,' she said. 'We've had a real positive response from the locals. They come from Lehi and then come in here and see how pretty this is and nice for the area.'
Struthers said there are currently two annexations projects, Saratoga and Deerfield, being proposed to the City Council. If these developments are approved, he said the number of square miles Lehi covers would double.