County planning staff support WFRC Wasatch Choice land‑use update with amendment to show open space in unincorporated areas

County planning staff briefed the County Council on the Wasatch Choice Vision Land Use and Centers update and recommended the council support WFRC’s map with a limited amendment to include specific open‑space/recreation designations in the unincorporated West Bench.

Ryan Anderson, Municipal Services and Regional Planning program manager, and Daniel Torres, long‑range planning manager with the Municipal Services District (MSD), explained that WFRC’s update maps anticipated different center types (neighborhood through metropolitan) and parks/open space across the region through a 20‑ to 30‑year horizon. Staff noted that the WFRC map shows no centers in unincorporated Salt Lake County, a result that aligns with the county’s two general plans for the unincorporated West Bench (updated 2022) and Wasatch Canyons (updated 2020).

Planning staff recommended supporting the WFRC Land Use and Centers update for unincorporated areas but requested one change: amend the WFRC map to depict a recreation/conservation/open‑space area on the Lehi Bench that county plans designate for outdoor recreation, trails and habitat. They said recreation and open‑space designations matter to transportation planning because such amenities affect regional travel demand.

Staff also described four master‑planned community areas identified in the county’s West General Plan; three of those remain contingent on the Rio Tinto Kennecott mine closure and remediation and are therefore decades away. One master‑plan area has already been annexed into neighboring cities (Herriman and South Jordan). For the Wasatch Canyons, staff said most canyon land is U.S. Forest Service public land and not suitable for a centers model, and therefore supported keeping the WFRC map unchanged for the canyons.

Staff emphasized the county’s dual role in land use: (1) the County Council is the legislative authority for unincorporated land use decisions and (2) the county participates as a regional collaborator on issues that cross municipal boundaries, including parks and recreation. Staff recommended that WFRC include park and recreation facilities once the county’s Parks and Recreation 2025 master plan is complete.

Council members thanked staff and WFRC representatives for the briefing and indicated they expect further public engagement as WFRC advances its regional transportation plan (RTP) and as the county continues local planning work.