Salt Lake Council denies effort to develop land

After getting an earful from Salt Lake City and Davis County residents who favor natural open space, the Salt Lake City Council Tuesday denied North Salt Lake's effort to develop some pristine foothill open space.

That denial, which came on a 5-2 vote, doesn't necessarily kill North Salt Lake's plans. The Davis County city could pursue other options, including taking the battle to court.

City Council members urged the two cities to work toward a compromise where Salt Lake City could purchase the land from North Salt Lake and then preserve the foothill property as perpetual untouched open space.

It's unclear, however, at what price North Salt Lake would be willing to sell the unique property. Deputy Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Fluhart claimed North Salt Lake wasn't a "willing seller," but North Salt Lake Mayor Kay Briggs said that wasn't true.

North Salt Lake's proposal asked Salt Lake City to relinquish some 80 acres of property North Salt Lake owns within Salt Lake City's boundaries. The land is zoned as open space and is inaccessible from Utah's capital except via off-road trail. North Salt Lake argues its city is better able to provide services for the land and should be able to annex the property into its city.

Once annexed, the 80 acres would be combined with another 20 acres to the north, which North Salt Lake owns, and another 20 acres to the south, which is owned privately. North Salt Lake would then build a housing development on 10-40 acres, a cemetery on roughly 23 acres and set aside 47 acres as natural open space. Roughly 27 of those 47 acres would be flat enough for development.

The land is unique and flat, which is unusual for foothill property. Also, it provides spectacular views of the Great Salt Lake for hikers, joggers and nature enthusiasts who frequent the area. Several University of Utah geologists told the Salt Lake City Council that the land is a "geoantiquity" and needs to be preserved.

Public comment came down about 15 to 1 against the plan, and even North Salt Lake residents who spoke didn't want it.

"Mayor Briggs is out of touch with the residents of North Salt Lake and what we want," Juan Arce-Larreta said.

Aaron Evans said there are scores of North Salt Lake residents who want the land preserved.

"We don't want to see this area overdeveloped," he said. "Areas like this along the Wasatch Front are a disappearing commodity."