Salt Lake County Council declares intention to preserve 80 acres of foothill land as open space

Wood said the city is working with several developers on plans for the property. When pressed, he said the city has not yet made a decision on how much land would actually be covered with homes. But plans by a Bountiful developer obtained by the Deseret Morning News in April 2005 showed the city planned on including 25 acres of homes, and another 22 for a cemetery, with some left over as natural open space.

Plans are not set in stone, and are constantly changing, Wood said.

That worries Dave Buhler, the chairman of Salt Lake City Council, who along with his colleagues, wants to see the land preserved as open space.

"Once we lose control of that land, who knows what that would be?" Buhler said, noting that North Salt Lake leaders could do "whatever they want" if the disputed land is annexed into the Davis County city. "We think it should remain natural open space."

North Salt Lake's Schaefermeyer said development would only cover a portion of the land, and the city would preserve the Bonneville Shoreline Trail.

But Salt Lake City officials have repeatedly said that developing even a portion of the land would ruin the entire area. The majority of the Salt Lake County Council agreed Tuesday, and voted 6-2 to declare its intentions of zoning the disputed land as open space.

"It would be a sin of enormous proportions if we allowed that 80 acres to be developed," Councilman Joe Hatch said. "It's been open space, and it should continue to be open space."

David Wilde, who ran on a platform of preserving open space and was reelected last month, and Marv Hendrickson voted against the non-binding resolution.

North Salt Lake leaders insist the land shouldn't be within Salt Lake City's borders because Salt Lake emergency services are unable to effectively provide services to the area. There are no roads leading from Utah's capital to the 80 acres in dispute.

Buhler said that problem is easily solved by entering into an interlocal agreement with North Salt Lake — a move that is not uncommon in local government.

---

E-mail: ldethman@desnews.com