The council's decision came after pointed questions from Councilwoman Nancy Saxton, whose district includes Pioneer Park and who has opposed Anderson's plans for the 10-acre plot.

Saxton was interested in "taking the park as it is and finding ways to program it as it is," she said. "Change the image of the park — there are other ways to do it a lot less expensively."

During the process of deciding on the capital improvements budget, council members negotiate with each other and city staff over how much money to give to specific projects to replace sidewalk cuts, street lights, bond debt payments and park improvements.

The council took an informal vote to reach its decision Tuesday and is to finalize that decision Oct. 3.

In other business Tuesday night, the City Council agreed to change the timing for the developer of the Emigration Court apartments and condominiums on 500 East between 300 and 400 South. The developer, Salt Lake Apartment Builders LLC, had planned to build an apartment building in stage two of the project. The council agreed to let Salt Lake Apartment Builders move a condo section of the development from stage three to stage two and postpone the apartment section until late 2008.

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E-mail: kswinyard@desnews.com