Inaction buys open-space activists time

There was talk but no action Tuesday on a controversial request to disconnect 80 acres of open space from Salt Lake City's borders.

The decision by the Salt Lake City Council to refrain from action buys time and leverage for a handful of North Salt Lake activists pushing for the land to be preserved from development.

"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize . . . that Salt Lake City wants to preserve open space and believes the best hope lies with us," said Juan Arce-Laretta, a North Salt Lake resident and former Salt Lake City employee.

Over the past two years, North Salt Lake and Salt Lake City have been fighting over the contested land. While the land is within Salt Lake City's borders, it is owned by North Salt Lake — a Davis County city with plans to develop at least 25 acres of the contested land.

Tuesday's meeting was for a public hearing on a petition by North Salt Lake to disconnect the land from Salt Lake City. The council has 45 days to make a decision on the petition. If it approves the disconnection, that would pave the way for the land to be annexed into the city and later developed.

Salt Lake City has denied other attempts by North Salt Lake to annex the land.

Arce-Laretta and friend Joe Hansen said they weren't surprised by the lack of action by Salt Lake City. It helps them, they say, as they continue a quest to push North Salt Lake Mayor Kay Briggs to preserve all 80 acres.

Arce-Laretta and Hansen say they can obtain $800,000 through the LeRay McAllister Open Space fund to purchase a conservation easement for the land. A May 11 deadline is approaching, and they say they need to put pressure on the mayor to get him to apply for the money with a grant.

Briggs said Tuesday he had already filled out three applications to preserve open space in the foothills above the 80 acres.

"We have made a great effort to develop it with prudence and wisdom," he said.

Briggs is currently in negotiations to develop portions of the land. Despite the fact that Salt Lake City has refused to give up the land, work will continue, he said. Briggs just hopes the issue won't evolve to the point that North Salt Lake must go to court.

"People keep trying to push the legal fight," he said. "I don't know why we can't resolve this as friends and neighbors. We're not trying to be mean and nasty."

Within the next 45 days, the Salt Lake City Council will make a decision on North Salt Lake's petition to disconnect.

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E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com