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Midway open‑space committee plans public outreach and reviews conservation priorities as federal grants slow
Summary
Midway’s open‑space committee reviewed priority parcels including Broody Hill and Cemetery Ridge, discussed federal grant delays and leveraged bond funding, set a Feb. 17 city‑council briefing and a March public open house, and assigned follow‑ups including marketing support and parcel assessments.
Midway’s open‑space committee on Jan. 7 focused its meeting on how to advance local conservation projects while federal funding and matching grants remain constrained. The committee reviewed several priority parcels, discussed grant timing and leverage, and set outreach steps for the coming months.
Committee members reviewed three project areas in detail: Broody Hill (partly city‑owned, constrained by steep slopes and access limits), the Hamlet property (a former dump and nearby river frontage where members discussed an open‑space covenant and habitat improvements) and Cemetery Ridge (a steep, visible hillside close to the state park that committee members said is difficult to develop and could be a candidate for conservation). A planner on the committee explained that current code and the sensitive‑lands ordinance make most of Cemetery Ridge hard to develop, which affects appraisal and negotiation strategies.
Funding was a central theme. Members discussed available federal and state programs, including the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), a federal matching program. Committee members emphasized that leverage from outside funds has fallen from historic levels and that the committee must explain that change to the public. The group reiterated a prior decision not to tap the second $5 million bond until the first tranche is fully spent and projects closed; members said that drawing the new bond while earlier commitments remain unspent would be imprudent.
To maintain public momentum, the committee agreed to schedule a work session and a brief presentation to the city council in February (committee proposed Feb. 17) and to hold a public open house in March that would mix general presentation and small breakout groups. The committee recommended engaging marketing contractor Joan Gould to help publicize the events and to develop materials (maps, a color‑coded project PDF) that show closed projects and those with funds committed.
Assignments and next steps included asking staff and volunteers to prepare parcel assessments (annexation, easement status, sensitive‑lands overlays) for potential bargaining strategies, coordinating with nonprofit partners (Summitlands Conservancy and Utah Open Lands), and preparing an LWCF overview for the next committee meeting. A member announced a Center Street trail reimbursement of about $750,000 expected in roughly three weeks.
Procedural actions: the committee approved the December minutes by voice vote earlier in the meeting and adjourned at the end after a voice vote.
Next steps: committee members will meet in February to brief the city council, finalize open‑house logistics for March and produce the requested parcel assessments and outreach materials.
