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Council resists selling Kiwanis‑adjacent parcel after BYU offer; residents protest loss of parkland
Summary
BYU offered about $1.37 million to buy a 1.92‑acre parcel currently used for fenced school playgrounds and parking; Parks staff said playground equipment there is in poor condition and proposed consolidating playgrounds into Kiwanis Park, but councilors and residents strongly opposed selling parkland and sought short‑term lease or negotiated access instead.
City staff briefed the council on an offer from Brigham Young University to purchase a 1.92‑acre parcel adjacent to Kiwanis Park that has been used by Wasatch Elementary/Oak Ridge School under a historic 50‑year lease. Tara Riddle told the council that BYU now owns the former Wasatch property and has requested purchase of the small parcel; in internal reviews the parks department found three playground structures partly on city land that are rated in "poor to very poor" condition and recommended using any sale proceeds to consolidate and replace playgrounds within Kiwanis Park.
BYU representatives said their stated need is overflow parking and operational flexibility while campus construction occurs; they told the council they had no concrete campus plan yet for the buildings and did not expect to keep Wasatch in the long term. BYU said the purchase discussion began after it acquired the elementary school property from the school district.
Several councilors and many residents who contacted council members opposed any sale of land they consider parkland. Council members highlighted the parcel’s long public use, limited parking near Kiwanis for families with small children, and emotional community attachment to the playgrounds. Multiple councilors proposed near‑term alternatives to an outright sale: a temporary lease or shared‑use agreement allowing BYU limited access for overflow parking during ASB construction and, in exchange, some contribution toward playground replacements or guaranteed public access.
Parks staff said replacement of the three older playgrounds (one largely on city land) was already planned in the CIP for 2028–2029 and that sale proceeds could accelerate consolidation into a larger, improved play area. Several councilors said they would prefer to secure a funding commitment for playground replacement before considering surplusing land, and others were simply opposed to selling any parkland.
Next steps: Staff said they would discuss interim lease options with BYU and continue dialogue; because of strong public sentiment the council did not pursue surplusing the parcel at this meeting.
Why it matters: The parcel sits at the intersection of public recreation assets, an adjacent university campus and neighborhood needs. Selling city parkland — even small parcels used in partnership with schools — triggered widespread public concern and a call for negotiated, temporary arrangements rather than immediate sale.
