Riverdale staff outline trail and planning grants; council approved nonexclusive bike-club agreement

At the May 27 Riverdale Planning Commission meeting, community development staff reviewed current and proposed grant-funded planning efforts and a recently approved nonexclusive use agreement for city trails.

Mr. Cooper, community development staff, told commissioners that the Wasatch Front Regional Council awarded $200,000 to plan a project the staff referred to as “String Town.” He also said staff applied for an outdoor recreation grant to fund a hillside trail master plan and that the city would request about $160,000 if awarded. “If we’re successful, why would we ask for a hundred 60,000?” Cooper said, describing the grant-scale planning effort and noting the planning commission would be a stakeholder in subsequent planning.

Cooper said the hillside trail master plan would aim to connect Romer Park to the River Trail and would dovetail with the city’s comprehensive code update and the String Town planning. He also told the commission the city council approved a nonexclusive use agreement with a local mountain bike club for use of trails in exchange for the club’s work repairing trail damage caused by tree removal.

The commission discussed coordination with neighboring jurisdictions: staff said Romer Park is now under Washington Terrace’s control and that Washington Terrace provided a letter of support for the grant application but is not contributing planning funds at this stage. Cooper said Washington Terrace would be brought into stakeholder meetings during the planning phase.

No formal commission action was taken on the grants discussion during the meeting.