Layton council backs moving ahead on East Ridge open-space, off‑leash trail corridor and to seek grants

Parks staff presented three off‑leash options and recommended an "off‑leash open‑space trail corridor" approach for East Ridge Nature Park. The park parcel totals about 16 acres; staff said roughly 9.6 acres are usable and would provide approximately 1.6 miles of trail.

Joellen, the parks presenter, summarized capital and operational trade-offs among fenced dog parks, shared-use off‑leash areas and open-space trail corridors. She recommended the open-space trail corridor as the best fit for the site, emphasizing that larger off‑leash areas (3–7+ acres) reduce crowding and conflict. "When you're getting a big space, you're able to service a broader area of residents," Joellen said.

Council members supported the proposal and asked about timing and construction materials for trails in wet areas; staff said trails would be asphalt on some sections with compacted crushed-rock (soft-path) in more natural areas to reduce muddiness. Council agreed staff should pursue available grant funding (including GRAMA‑type grant opportunities discussed) and move toward preparing construction documents. Staff said the city has some park impact fees available and that a grant application plus partial impact‑fee use could accelerate work.

Council members also suggested submitting applications promptly and requested staff firm up a funding gap and timeline for phases. No final appropriation was approved Nov. 6; staff will proceed with grant applications and return with funding details and a proposed schedule.