Salt Lake City, North Salt Lake resolve 5-year land dispute
The Salt Lake City Council on Thursday and the North Salt Lake City Council on Friday each voted unanimously to approve a settlement that would keep most of the land untouched but would let North Salt Lake develop some of it.
Last year, the two cities sued each other over control of the 80 acres owned by North Salt Lake but lying within Salt Lake City's boundaries. North Salt Lake's lawsuit sought to disconnect the land into the Davis County city and had been scheduled for a hearing next Tuesday. Salt Lake City's lawsuit sought to condemn the land so it could not be developed.
The deal will end the pair of lawsuits.
"It's one of the real important things I've done on the council," said Salt Lake City Councilman Eric Jergensen, whose district includes the disputed land, after the Salt Lake vote.
In 2002, North Salt Lake began seeking to have the land annexed into its borders, but Salt Lake City denied a disconnection attempt in 2004. Salt Lake City wants to preserve the pristine land remnants of the prehistoric Lake Bonneville shoreline and North Salt Lake wants to sell some of it for development.
The deal will allow 13 acres to be developed as North Salt Lake wishes. The rest will remain untouched.
The North Salt Lake border will move southward to encompass about 21 acres currently in Salt Lake City. The 13 developable acres and about eight undevelopable acres will become part of North Salt Lake.
That would leave North Salt Lake free to do what it wants, although 6.7 acres of steep slope would be placed under a conservation easement.
North Salt Lake has said in the past it wants to use the land for a cemetery, a park, trails and perhaps some homes. City Manager Collin Wood said Friday that the city doesn't yet know what it will do with the land obtained under the agreement.
Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County will jointly buy the remaining 60 or so acres from North Salt Lake for $3.5 million, with half coming from each entity. The Salt Lake County Council agreed to the deal Tuesday.
"We've reached a good resolution," North Salt Lake Councilwoman Lisa Watts Baskin said. "We are happy to see that the land will remain open space for our residents to enjoy. Salt Lake City and County have spent their money well."
North Salt Lake leaders emphasized that their fight has not been against open space. City attorney Mike Nielsen said that in his three years on the job, the city has bought about 115 acres to be preserved as open space, as well as more than 400 acres west of the planned Legacy Parkway that will be preserved.
Comments
- Luxury home market stalls 12:02 p.m.
- Kirk Douglas classic on DVD 11:38 a.m.
- Zion fire moving southeast 11:36 a.m.
- More school-money than expected 11:24 a.m.
- Virginia 'Freedman's' project done 11:12 a.m.
- Teen relive Mormon trek 11:12 a.m.
- Oldest American to scale Mount Everest 11:07 a.m.
- Knicks sign first-round pick 10:59 a.m.
- Armstrong third, Leipheimer fourthe 10:58 a.m.
- 6.0 quake in China 10:43 a.m.
- Jazz brass debate Millsap match
- LDS seminary principal arrested
- 2 men cited on LDS plaza
- Jazz finances not quite so bleak
- HBO defends U. logo use in 'Love'
- Reactions on Boozer speculation
- Cash for Clunkers to get rolling soon
- Utahns among Texans' investors
- Man spots his stolen car
- Jazz rookies quiet Thunder youngsters
- LDS seminary principal arrested
256 - Jazz brass debate Millsap match
166 - Bronco collecting a galaxy of recruits
141 - Jazz talking Boozer trade?
140 - Blazers may offer Millsap a contract
124 - 2 men cited on LDS plaza
121 - Stadium of Fire flag burning was fake
99 - Fairness of BCS debated
81 - Chaffetz eyes challenging Bennett
76 - Letters: Single-payer system best
75
As more and more dads are put out of work in this economy, I've been...
The photographs are mysterious, brooding, dark. They show dimples and...
I hope you are right. I hope we are 40 years behind the rest of a society...
Our society is way messed up. MAny cry foul at the millions corpoate ceo's...
Like Stockton once said when renewing his contract for $5M, "when is enough,...
I don't know about the head pro but the course is fantastic - my son and I go...
I'm sure the U has received some heat from backwater, idiot Utah legislators...
Looks like Brother Pratt found a Fanny Alger of his own. (Google it.)
Ernest, when was the last time you enrolled in a paleontology course at BYU?
UAW (Obama's Buddies) and the US gov owe 89% of GM. Obama gave his cronies at...
Re:Jon "people who want to control other people's live believe they can be...
Everyone The Jazz are going to trade Boozer and keep Millsap. The whole goal...


You can be the first to comment on this story.