WEST BOUNTIFUL — Construction of the Legacy Parkway, which is set to open later this year, includes a 14-mile pedestrian-equestrian trail designed to showcase the beauty of the Wasatch Mountains from afar.

Though the trail is expected to tie in with existing trails in Farmington, no specific plans have been made to connect its southern end to a trail in Salt Lake City.

During a second presentation of an olive branch to Davis County leaders, Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker proposed that trails committees in Salt Lake and Davis County get together to make that connection happen.

Becker attended the monthly Davis County Council of Governments meeting in January to repair a rift between Salt Lake City and Davis County. Tuesday's visit to the COG was a chance to follow up, as he said, on some things the two communities might work together on.

"We're neighbors," he said. "It's a shame. People are going to be coming down Legacy and all of a sudden, it just stops."

He said one of his priorities in Salt Lake City is completing the Jordan River Parkway through Salt Lake City to the Davis County border.

"We're going north, and all of a sudden it just stops," he said. "We'd love to work with you on making that connection work."

Wilf Sommerkorn, Davis County director of community and economic development, said his office gets regular phone calls about the Legacy Parkway trail and whether people will be able to get to Salt Lake City on it.

"It really would be an important connection," he said.

Trails aren't the only thing Becker had in mind.

Once the city begins building its multimillion-dollar Salt Lake Regional Athletic Complex, a 180-acre youth complex planned for 2000 North between Redwood Road and Interstate 215, Becker said, he'd like to involve Davis County.

And he solicited help from Davis County leaders to prevent any attempts by the Utah Legislature to scuttle the complex's location in favor of another part of the valley.

There had been discussions about that before the 2008 session got under way, though no plans have materialized yet, Becker said.

He also urged Davis leaders to lobby the Legislature to make sure a proposal for a large regional theater would land in downtown Salt Lake City, because, he said, Sandy leaders have been pursuing the option to bring a theater to the southern part of the valley.

Becker said he is awaiting the results of a Salt Lake County-sponsored study that would determine if such a theater should be built and where.

---

E-mail: jdougherty@desnews.com