County to form open space panel

Salt Lake County open space planning is about to get more public input.

Last week the County Council preliminarily approved formation of a citizen committee to advise county government on the general approach to acquiring open space and on specific purchases.

Councilman Joseph Hatch, who pushed the measure, said it would help remove politicking from the process.

"We have real limited resources," he said. "We need to make sure they are put to good use."

The county last year put $2.7 million in a fund earmarked for acquisition of open space, which Hatch says "isn't even going to come close" to what is needed. To help the situation, the council last week also approved putting interest generated by the fund back into the fund instead of general county monies, as has been the case up to now.

The $2.7 million might not be enough, but "it's a tremendous step in the right direction," according to Parks and Recreation Division planner Emery Crook.

The county's parks and recreation master plan, which includes acquisition of open space, is 10 years old. Given the substantial political boundary and population changes in the Salt Lake Valley since then (population, for example, has increased by 200,000), the county is now drafting another.

David Marshall, chief administrative officer to county Mayor Nancy Workman, said the focus of open-space acquisition is now on the rapidly filling southwest area of the county. Crook added that the county plans an "opportunistic approach," taking advantage of open- space acquisition opportunities that present themselves even if they don't fit exactly within the plan's parameters.

County officials constantly repeat that the county will have to get creative and remain flexible to meet federal standards for park space in Salt Lake Valley. One way to do it, according to Councilman Randy Horiuchi, is to require developers to include open space in their plans before the county approves those plans.

Open space includes parks, farmland, golf courses, natural areas - - just about anything that isn't a house or office building. It also includes trails such as the Bonneville Shoreline Trail and trails being built along the Jordan River.

Workman has made acquisition and development of trails along the river's entire length a priority of her administration.

If, as expected, the citizen committee is given final approval next week, the new citizen committee will consist of one resident from each of the six council districts and one at-large member. Workman will appoint the members with the council's advice and consent.

E-Mail: aedwards@desnews.com

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