Salt Lake County Council moves ahead on $1.8 million land purchase

Salt Lake County still plans on spending $1.8 million for a piece of foothill property, despite grumblings from some council members who think the price tag is too steep.

Councilman Jim Bradley tried to sway his colleagues to change their mind and do a new appraisal on the Willow Canyon property, a 10-acre parcel between Sandy and Draper.

But in the end, the council decided to stick to its earlier vote and go forward with the purchase. The county's $1.8 million will be combined with $500,000 from Sandy for a total $2.3 million purchase.

The council on Tuesday instructed the county's real estate division to re-evaluate the property and see if the price tag is too steep, but ultimately did nothing to stop the sale.

In a letter to the council, Bradley said he was "hard pressed" to see how the Willow Canyon purchase accomplishes the county's open space goals. He said the property is "largely undeveloped land and, when coupled with the adjacent undeveloped foothills, ample open space values already exist."

By not purchasing the land, those open space funds could be used in "other, more vulnerable areas of the county," Bradley said.