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Edge Hill neighbors, residents say contractor cleared vegetation on city land and left hazardous turnout; petition presented
Summary
Residents reported damage to vegetation on city-owned hills and an unusable turnaround on Edge Hill Road, presented a petition signed by adjacent property owners and asked the council to address safety and restoration.
Residents at the meeting told the Salt Lake City Council they observed a contractor clearing large swaths of vegetation on city-owned hills north of town and said the work damaged old-growth scrub oak, rabbitbrush and a neighborhood turnaround at Edge Hill Road.
"I asked the bulldozer driver if he could limit destruction to only grassy areas and avoid old growth vegetation. His response, 'I have a job to do. I will do it any way I feel best,'" said David Waldman, who said he provided photographs to council staff. He said crews created a roughly 25-foot-wide swath where a 10-foot access road would have sufficed and that the work included space for overnight parking and refueling on city land.
Susan Dawson, representing Edge Hill Road property owners, presented a petition she said was signed by "100% of the property owners that are adjacent to Edge Hill Road that are not Salt Lake City Corporation." Dawson said the destroyed turnaround creates a public-safety hazard that should be addressed while longer-term planning continues.
Katie Romney and other residents said winter snow removal and emergency access were already compromised by the altered terrain. Romney said she had footage of a snowplow struggling to turn given the lack of a functional turnaround. Ian McCubbin added that the impacted area includes city-owned property behind residences and said residents have repeatedly asked Rocky Mountain Power and the city to bury power lines; he described cost estimates and utility-company conduct in critical terms.
None of the public comments on this item resulted in a recorded motion or vote at the meeting. Residents urged the council to direct staff to investigate restoration, address the Edge Hill turnaround as an interim safety matter and coordinate with utilities on infrastructure and access; the transcript records requests but does not show a formal direction from the council in the meeting minutes.
