Draper buys 1,021 acres for open space

Draper has purchased nearly all of the property in Corner Canyon with a combination of voter-approved bond money and government grants.

The city bought 1,021 acres of the 1,035 in the canyon area to preserve it for open space, and Salt Lake County will hold the permanent conservation easement on the property to prevent future Draper governments from selling the property, said Michael Sears, finance director.

The city purchased the property with a $7 million bond that voters approved last November, $500,000 from a state conservation agency, $500,000 from Salt Lake County, and an additional $6.08 million bond on the city's assets. Minus closing costs and fees for minor construction in the canyon this winter, the purchase price ended up at about $13.7 million.

In exchange, residents will have more than a thousand acres for biking, hiking and horseback riding. The city plans some small structures, such as restrooms, picnic pavilions or a nature center; it also wants to improve trailheads that lead to the Lone Peak Wilderness and Jacob's Ladder, a popular route to Lone Peak, the highest point in Salt Lake County.

"We'll see some primitive trails built. We'll see some graded trails, handicapped access that individuals could use," Sears said.

Motorized vehicles will be prohibited in the canyon, cutting off access to ATV users. Maintenance vehicles, however, will be allowed for trail upkeep.

The city wanted to purchase the property to preclude development by a consortium of owners who were interested in building houses on the land. The previous owners retained their surface water rights on the property, and Draper Irrigation will use the remaining 14 acres for water tanks and erosion control measures to keep sand and silt from the natural streams.

About 165 acres sit within Utah County, Sears said, but Salt Lake County will still hold the conservation easement. Alpine voters in Utah County will vote Nov. 8 on a $5 million bond for open space adjacent to the Draper land.

Draper initially said that the $7 million bond voters approved a year ago would not be enough to purchase all the property. After an outcry from residents, the city found the money to purchase all the land. The Trust for Public Lands was the intermediary between the city and property owners during negotiations.

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E-mail: kswinyard@desnews.com