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Council authorizes staff to pursue purchase if Sherwood Hills parcel becomes available to protect city water source
Summary
Council discussed a possible partnership with Cache County to buy portions of Sherwood Hills to protect springs and Wellsville's water source. The city holds a $220,000 open-space reserve and applied for a $2 million state Outdoor Recreation Initiative grant; council approved nonbinding authorization to act if the sale proceeds.
Wellsville City Councilors discussed an opportunity to acquire open space in the Sherwood Hills area to protect springs that help supply the city's water system. The city reported it applied for and received an Outdoor Recreation Initiative grant and that Cache County would be the primary partner in a larger acquisition.
City staff said the overall property discussion covers roughly 595 acres in total, with developers retaining a portion for a bridle path and limited lots; about 466 acres were identified as open space in early negotiations. Under the purchase plan described to the council, Cache County would acquire about 266 acres and Wellsville City would acquire roughly 200 acres funded in part by a $2,000,000 Outdoor Recreation Initiative grant; Wellsville's contribution would come from city open-space funds (the city has approximately $220,000 available from prior open-space purchases). The council emphasized that no final contract is signed and that negotiations are ongoing.
Nut graf: The council voted to authorize city staff to proceed—only if and when the property becomes available—to work with Cache County and other funders to secure open space and protective easements intended to safeguard the spring and canyon recharge areas that feed the city's water supply.
During the meeting officials discussed negotiation details including a reduced total asking price (reported in council discussion as moving from an earlier $10 million proposal to approximately $7.5 million under current negotiations), donor contributions and operational safeguards for septic and wastewater in the proposed subdivision. Councilmembers asked technical questions about drain fields and maintenance; staff said the development's package would include pump-and-haul or scheduled pumping to keep septic impacts away from the recharge area.
Action and next steps: Councilmember made a motion to enable city staff to move forward if the opportunity arises; the motion passed. Staff said they will only commit funds once a final purchase agreement is presented for council approval and clarified the city’s current $220,000 open-space balance could be allocated toward the project if council later chooses to do so.
Ending: Council members requested continued public updates as negotiations progress. No final purchase contract or expenditure was approved at the April 2 meeting.
