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Bluffdale Planning Commission forwards 2025 Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan to City Council
Summary
Following a consultant presentation, the commission unanimously recommended that the City Council adopt the 2025 Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan; the plan projects growth to about 32,000 residents by 2050, identifies park and trail needs and estimates implementation costs around $80 million by 2050.
The Bluffdale Planning Commission on Aug. 20 voted unanimously to forward the 2025 Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan to the City Council with a positive recommendation.
Lisa Benson of Landmark Design presented the plan and described it as aspirational guidance for parks, trails, recreation and open space over the next decades. Key figures in the plan include a current population of roughly 19,000, a projected population of about 32,000 by 2050, and an existing city park inventory of about 92 acres (excluding the equestrian center). The plan reports a current park level of service of about 4.8 acres per 1,000 residents and recommends a target LOS of approximately 4.0 in future years to balance priorities and budget constraints.
The plan proposes adding roughly 34.3 miles of trails to the city’s existing ~18 miles, recommends a community park in the south and six neighborhood parks in the north, and identifies needs for a small number of additional ballfields and recreation amenities. The consultant estimated a total probable implementation cost of about $80,000,000 by 2050 for proposed capital projects, wayfinding, signage and accessibility initiatives; Lisa Benson emphasized the figures are high‑level estimates and the plan is intended to guide prioritization and grant competitiveness rather than commit funding.
Commissioners queried how the parks plan links to the active transportation plan and the city’s impact fee update; staff said the active transportation plan will provide more route‑level detail and that an updated parks plan is important for funding conversations and grant applications. Commissioners also noted uncertainty about potential future development on Geneva property, which was not modeled comprehensively in the plan because details remain unknown.
After a public hearing with no speakers, Commissioner Ulysses Flynn moved and Commissioner Corey Luker seconded to forward a positive recommendation to the City Council; the commission voted unanimously. The City Council is scheduled to consider the plan at its Sept. 10 meeting.
What happens next: The planning commission’s recommendation will be included in the Council packet and the Council will hold a public hearing and decide whether to adopt the parks plan as part of Bluffdale’s general plan.
