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County accepts easement from property owner for Syneker Service Canal Trail; UDOT grant will fund construction
Summary
The commission accepted a 16x16 foot easement from property owner Mitch Phillips for the Syneker Service Canal Trail, a $3.5 million project funded through the Utah Trails Network (UDOT division). The county said the grant carries state funding; local tax dollars are not the primary source.
The Uintah County Commission ratified acceptance of a small easement from property owner Mitch Phillips needed to complete the alignment of the Syneker Service Canal Trail, a proposed trail project funded through the Utah Trails Network and administered by UDOT.
Matt Kizer, Community Development, said the project is a roughly $3,500,000 construction job funded through the Utah Trail Network, a division of the Utah Department of Transportation established by the state legislature. Kizer said Sunrise Engineering has been hired to design the trail and that the county hopes to use local contractors for construction. The easement accepted by the commission is a 16‑by‑16‑foot corner parcel that will close a gap between Bureau of Reclamation property and Terra Academy property; Kizer said Terra Academy’s board has approved an easement along its east boundary.
Kizer told commissioners that Mitch Phillips donated the easement without charging the county and that the county will install a fence along the boundary near his hay barn to prevent trespass and fire risk. "Mitch, Phillips, he gave this to the county. He didn't charge us anything for it," Kizer said. He added that public feedback at a recent meeting of about 40–60 people was "very positive." The project timeline discussed by staff anticipates bulk construction next spring, with the possibility of starting work this fall or winter depending on weather.
During public comment a resident urged the commission to consider law enforcement and enforcement costs associated with new trails; commissioners and staff responded that the Syneker trail is funded through a state grant, that local tax revenues are not the primary funding source, and that the Utah Trails Network/UDOT is carrying the project. Kizer said the county expects year‑round access and plans winter maintenance ("scribe bladed" operations) to keep the trail open.
The commission voted to accept the easement and thanked Mitch Phillips for cooperating with the county on the project.
