What would motivate a city to build a road?

[Olesya Richards]

This is more of a question than a diary. Here is the backstory. We found this amazing deal for an 1 acre lot that would normally cost 4x from the price we’re getting it for. The only issue is that we would have to develop the road that goes to that property. It also has drop offs on the property and there is a need of retaining wall on both sides of the road that would have to be added as well. You can’t divide the lot to resell unless you invest in the road development. The cost of development is unknown and it would take weeks to get an estimate on that. That road could be built by the city but there is no need for them to do it now. So I’m wondering if there is a way to convince the city or should I not even go there and look into partnerships on trade basis for the road development? I’m in the Utah County area and would love to learn about my options. Thanks in advance!

[Dallas Hayden]

Generally only your money will convince a city to build a road to service your property. Why would a city go out of the way and spend public dollars to build such a road? Even then you'll often have to hire your own contractors to handle the job. Suggest seeking a variance for a smaller/less expensive access lane.