6 groups make cut in quest for open-space $$

Salt Lake City has invited six community groups to submit a second round of grant applications for $5 million to help preserve open space.

The land that applicants want to preserve includes a spot on Salt Lake's east bench near the "H" rock above Foothill Boulevard, a corner lot at 1300 South and 300 East, a community garden at 553 S. 400 East, an easement near 2100 South and 1300 East for the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, land along Emigration Creek near 1700 South and 1700 East, and land near 300 North and 900 West for a flower garden.

The applicants — community councils, a non-profit group and an individual — must provide at least half of the purchase price for the land through other grants, private fund-raising or in-kind donations from the landowners.

The applicants also must show the city that they have started property negotiations. Public Services Director Rick Graham, who oversees the application process, said that the city expects eventually to have to take over those negotiations.

For the groups, which are still negotiating property prices, finding half the purchase price is difficult.

Laura McIndoe, who applied for money on behalf of the Wasatch Hollow Community Council for the Emigration Creek corridor, said that property negotiations with the land owner are going well, but it's too early to settle on a price for the nearly two acres they hope to preserve along the creek.

"There is a possibility of matched donations from the property seller and other property owners along the corridor," McIndoe said.

Voters approved the $5 million bond in the 2003 election. It's taken nearly three years to get applicants for the money because at the time of the election, the city had no guidelines for open space — no definitions, no parameters about who could apply for the money and no idea which part of city government would ultimately dole out the cash.

Eventually, the City Council decided that the land preserved through the grants could be wildlife habitat, wetland or watershed land, stream corridors, small neighborhood parks or light-use trails and pathways.

Graham and the open-space advisory board solicited applications this spring. The six groups must submit final applications by Aug. 31. The board will review the applications and make a recommendation around Oct. 15 to the City Council, which will decide which groups will get a share of the money.

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E-mail: kswinyard@desnews.com