Springville eyes Forest Service land — again

SPRINGVILLE — City leaders for years have been eying acreage next to Hobble Creek Golf Course for possible expansion.

But it would take a land swap with the U.S. Forest Service that may now be possible, city administrator Troy Fitzgerald said Tuesday during a Springville City Council work session.

The city has 80 acres in Grindstone Canyon next to Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest land that includes a watershed that drains into Hobble Creek, along with other wilderness properties the city could swap for the flat land next to the golf course. The Grindstone Canyon land is a long, narrow piece, while the land next to the golf course is flat.

"The Forest Service land is more usable to the city," Fitzgerald said.

City officials negotiated for a land swap years ago, Councilman Phil Bird recalled. Discussions about a possible land swap have been going on since the late 1990s, Fitzgerald said.

"There's enough (Forest Service land) to do another nine holes," he said.

"This is a golden opportunity for the city," Councilman Neil Strong said. "No one has anything to lose with this."

City officials could stipulate that Springville would keep the land as open space, which would lower the value for the trade, Strong said.

The Forest Service has asked for a written proposal to review, spokeswoman Lorraine Januzelli said.

— Rodger L. Hardy