County council approves Salt Lake City Northpointe annexation despite concerns about small ‘island’ left behind

Salt Lake County Council on March 18 approved Salt Lake City’s Northpointe annexation, a city‑sponsored measure that brings a large, irregular swath of unincorporated county into Salt Lake City while leaving the smaller Hunter Stables parcel temporarily unincorporated.

County Public Works Director Scott Baird told the council Salt Lake City plans to adopt a final resolution at its March 25 council meeting and that city staff expect to complete a development agreement with the remaining property owner before that parcel is annexed. "They expect to pass a resolution to complete the annexation on at their March 25 council meeting," Baird said.

Council members raised concerns that excluding Hunter Stables turns that property into an "island" and could remove leverage for ongoing negotiations. Council member Stringham said she was uneasy about the timing and the possibility the city was "doing a workaround" by moving forward with the larger parcel while leaving the smaller property to be annexed later. "This becomes an issue," Stringham said.

County staff and Salt Lake City representatives said the split reflects timing and development negotiations rather than a deliberate attempt to avoid working with the Hunter Stables owners. County staff also noted state law tied to legislation passed in the prior session (HB 330) would cause the remnant to be annexed automatically if it remains unincorporated past mid‑2027, providing an outside deadline for resolution. "If the island doesn't get annexed before July of 2027, it would be automatically annexed because of the provisions of HB 330," Scott Baird said.

The council discussed the tradeoffs: approving the larger annexation removes a large, inefficiently maintained area from county road and service responsibility, but it leaves a short‑term governance concern for the remnant property. Some council members said they preferred approving both parcels together; others said speed mattered because the larger area includes property owners and stakeholders pressing for timely annexation.

After discussion, a motion to approve the Salt Lake City Northpointe annexation passed. The clerk conducted a roll call for accuracy; Council member Stringham recorded a no vote and several members recorded aye votes. The council directed staff to continue monitoring the remaining Hunter Stables negotiations and to report back if outstanding objections are filed.

The annexation takes immediate effect for the parcels included in the city resolution; the Hunter Stables parcel remains unincorporated until either Salt Lake City completes a separate annexation or the statutory automatic annexation date arrives.

Background: county staff said the larger area proposed for annexation removes an irregular, costly-to-maintain strip of unincorporated county near the Salt Lake City border and that Salt Lake City wants the area for normal city services and development oversight.

Next steps: Salt Lake City’s council expected to consider its final resolution on March 25; county staff will continue to coordinate with the city and report any new objections from the Hunter Stables property owners to the council.