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Resident says signs and private claims block access to historic Silver Fork roads
Summary
Paul Warburton told Brighton council that signs and private claims have blocked access to portions of an older Silver Fork road to his cabin; he urged the town to identify and assert jurisdiction over historic mining roads to preserve public access and winter turnaround areas.
Paul Warburton addressed the council during public input on July 8, saying he bought a cabin on the eastern edge of the Silver Fork neighborhood and that access to his property was effectively blocked after signs were placed on the access road. "I am Paul Warburton, and I own a cabin in Silver Fork," he told the council.
Warburton said the road in question predates the current state road and is an old mining or service road that, under state and federal law, may qualify as publicly protected if it has been continuously used. He described efforts to work with Salt Lake City and to negotiate an alternate access via a paved portion of Silver Fork Road, but he said a neighboring property owner asserted she privately owns a portion of the road. "There are many sections of this old road that according to Utah law, that according to federal law, actually, are protected and under the jurisdiction of Brighton," Warburton said.
Council members and staff suggested Warburton and his attorney coordinate with the town's attorney and with the adjacent property owners to resolve the access question; a council speaker noted the town may be able to assert rights that would preserve winter turnaround space used by plows. The council did not take formal action at the meeting but directed that Warburton follow up with town counsel to explore options.
The exchange included descriptions of the legal background Warburton cited (historic use of mining/service roads and recording requirements), his pending lawsuit, and practical concerns for snow removal and trailhead parking that could affect the broader neighborhood.
