Wasatch Educational updated its proposal to the Provo Municipal Council to build and open a proposed medical education campus that will include the proposed Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine and later the home of Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions on the North Wedge (northwestern) part of the East Bay Golf Course.
 
Following a December 5 public meeting regarding the topic, Mayor Michelle Kaufusi encouraged all parties to work together to find a potential solution, which they did. Wasatch Educational, Provo Parks and Recreation, Provo Economic Development, and East Bay Golf course refined the proposal to ensure a better balance between the development and the existing uses of the site.
 
“As a group, we collaborated to develop consensus and agreement on the proposed medical school location,” said Dr. Richard Nielsen, vice president of Wasatch Educational and founding president of Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. “We feel great about this updated proposal for the Provo Municipal Council’s consideration. For us, it has always been about working in good faith through the details, listening to the people of Provo, and working to create a solution where everyone benefits. We plan to be great neighbors with the East Bay Golf Course and all who play there including loyal golfers, local high school teams, parents, children and teens, and tournament participants.”
 
“After listening to all sides regarding this proposal, I encouraged all the parties to work together on creating a solution that would be good for all involved that the Municipal Council could review and hopefully approve,” said Mayor Kaufusi. “I’m glad to see they have done just that. This proposal that will go before the Municipal Council for their consideration has the potential to be a wonderful outcome for our city, for future potential medical students, and for golfers who love and play at East Bay.”
 
Under the proposal, Wasatch Educational will locate its proposed medical education campus, on approximately 21 acres of the northwestern portion of the East Bay Golf Course and a privately owned 7.8 acre parcel of land currently under contract.
 
Additionally, the updated proposal includes the following items, all collaboratively agreed upon by Wasatch Educational, the Provo City Administration, the East Bay Golf Course, and Provo City Parks and Recreation:

• Scale back the SC-3 Regional Shopping Center Zone to be equal to the North Wedge only, that portion to be developed.
• The balance of the golf course that will remain as a golf course be rezoned to PF Public Facility Zone, which includes rezoning the southeast area (former Kuhni Property) from PIC Planned Industrial Commercial Zone to PF.
• Request that the Council make a strong statement that they have no intent or desire to expand or make available for development beyond the North Wedge.
• Wasatch Educational will make a strong statement of support for the recommend changes to the zoning outlined in this proposal.
• That a text amendment be approved by Provo City to allow educational uses in the SC-3 Zone.
• If Provo City determines to surplus the property, that Wasatch Educational would have the right of first offer.

 
“We voice our strongest possible support to these zoning recommendations,” said Nielsen. “We are grateful for the opportunity we’ve had to listen to the community and each of these city partners to make these recommendations to the Municipal Council and to the people of Provo.”
 
The developers of the proposed medical education campus will pay for the relocation of the three current holes to the southeastern portion of the golf course. The new holes will be designed, relocated and playable before construction on the proposed medical education campus begins.
 
“We feel this revised collaborative proposal provides the opportunity for a proposed medical education campus while giving the current users of the golf course assurances that their activities will not be adversely impacted,” said Scott Henderson, director, Provo City Parks and Recreation.
 
It should be noted, all information related to this updated proposal is subject to approval by the Provo Municipal Council who contributed to the recommendations during the Dec. 5 public and Municipal Council meeting. A public open house is planned for Jan. 4, 2018 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Provo Recreation Center and a public meeting is scheduled for Jan. 9, 2018 during the Municipal Council meeting.
 
About Wasatch Educational
 
Founded and located in Provo, Utah in 1998, Wasatch Educational is the holding company of Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. Its mission is to promote and develop healthcare education institutions. Wasatch Educational will manage the development of the proposed Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine. www.wasatcheducational.com
 
The proposed Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine would be an independent and freestanding institution overseen by a Governing Board located in Provo, Utah.
 
Founded and located in Provo, Utah in 1998, Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (RMUoHP), is a regionally accredited institution under the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. This accreditation is the highest achievable in the United States. RMUoHP is nationally recognized for evidence-based, outcomes-oriented healthcare education. RMUoHP is an exclusive graduate healthcare education institution with a reputation for high-quality, rigorous healthcare education programs (currently 12 doctoral programs or doctoral tracks and four master’s degree programs in different healthcare specialties) and has a diverse student body and faculty with alumni from Utah and all 50 states. www.rmuohp.edu
 
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