SANDY — An eight-acre park and an additional 6 1/2 acres could become city-owned property within the controversial 107-acre gravel pit.

The Sandy City Council approved a letter of intent Tuesday that outlines a property purchase agreement between the city and the Boyer Co. that would give the city a free park and additional free acres from the development.

Although construction begins in the spring on a Wal-Mart and Lowe's on the site, located at 9400 S. 1000 East, the city and developer are now detailing the land exchange.

If the Boyer Co. approves the letter (it has 30 days to do so), Sandy would first buy eight acres of land in the northwest corner of the property for $8.75 a square foot. The land would cost the city about $3 million.

But after the land is bought, the company has agreed to pay a maximum of $1.3 million for two baseball fields and a playground — all designed and contracted by the city.

"This is really a $1.3 million savings to us," said Randy Sant, Sandy's director of economic development.

Since only 53 percent of Sandy voters gave the green light in November to rezone the gravel pit for the big-box stores, a free park and additional acres could increase public approval of the project.

Also, the park would double as a storm retention pond for the area east of the gravel pit. In a big storm, water would flow to the park, and the retention pond would temporarily detain storm water and release it over a period of time.

Building a park on the site with a storm-water retention pond was a big issue for Save Our Communities, a group of residents who opposed the rezoning. The group argued the stores do not belong in a residential neighborhood. SOC spent about $16,000 fighting the zone change.

The majority of the $3 million needed has already been set aside in the budget. The rest of the money comes from contingencies from the storm-water fund and park impact fund.

"We have plenty of money to get to that $3 million mark," Sant assured the council.

An additional 6.5 acres would be donated by the developer to the city. Part of that land would include a road leading to the Sandy amphitheater.

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