Foothill deal may end fight

A compromise that will preserve open space but allow more housing in the foothills could end one of Salt Lake's most controversial development disputes.

City leaders, who generally disdain further foothill development, aren't necessarily excited about the proposed agreement between the City Attorney's Office and land owner Romney Lumber Co. But they concede that legalities might force their hand.

"I have a preference of protecting all the foothills to the extent we can," Councilman Dale Lambert said. "But given the practical realities we're faced with here, it appears they've come up with a solution that I will probably support."

Mayor Rocky Anderson and the City Council must still approve the plan, which would set aside 300-plus acres of open space near Parleys Canyon and would allow 13 luxury homes to be built at the now undeveloped end of Benchmark Drive (2275 East).

The deal becoming official is not a sure thing. Last year city leaders helped convince residents to pass a $5.4 million tax increase to fund open space preservation, including those foothills.

A public hearing on the compromise will also be scheduled.

According to assistant city attorney Lynn Pace, the 13 homes would be clustered in a linear pattern near the end of the street, precluding the need for a long, winding access road. Also, Romney would be able to place four new homes on property it owns lower in the city's foothills at the end of Scenic Drive.

As part of the deal, those 17 homes would then be annexed into Salt Lake City and hooked up to city water and sewer systems.

Romney would agree to set aside the rest of its 300-plus acres of foothill land as open space.

Pace said the land would likely either be donated to Salt Lake City for preservation or given to a private land trust group for preservation.

The deal calls for that open space to be publicly accessible by several trails, Pace said.

Romney would also agree to drop its lawsuit against the city, Pace said. The lumber company filed suit after the city tried to annex the development area three years ago in an attempt to stifle housing development there.

Romney claimed the city was violating the constitution by forbidding them from building on legally developable land.

Romney attorney Dale Gardiner did not return calls for comment. Lumber company owner Mel Romney was out of town and unreachable for comment, according to a secretary.

Arcadia Heights/Benchmark Community Council chairman Dave Mortensen said his council has been briefed on the general outline of the plan and might support it unless specific details prove unacceptable. Making it a gated community would be opposed by the council, Mortensen said.

---

E-mail: bsnyder@desnews.com