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Council hears Foothills zone plan; staff asks to lift hold on trail funds and to place a working group in the Peanut advisory board
Summary
Public Lands staff presented a zone‑based framework for Foothills Natural Area management, described interagency coordination with USFS and University of Utah, and asked the council to endorse the process and release ~ $200,000 in remaining trail construction/realignment funds pending community review.
Public Lands and Trails & Natural Lands staff presented a Foothills zone development process intended to guide future planning, design, and implementation of trails and restoration across the Foothills Natural Area. Tyler Fonner, Trails & Natural Lands director, explained the approach: divide the Foothills into seven zones, complete planning and design for one zone at a time, and prioritize projects for construction based on need and funding availability. Fonner said the department has been meeting with four other public land managers (US Forest Service, University of Utah, Division of State Parks and Salt Lake City utilities/public lands) and has a draft working agreement in place.
Staff described recent work on the East City Creek zone (planning/design completed) and Popperton Open Space and said finalized design documents will be posted on ShapeSLC for community input. The transcript records that staff contracted the University of Utah Environmental Dispute Resolution program to facilitate stakeholder interviews; the consultant recommended situating a Foothills community working group within the existing Peanut advisory board, a suggestion staff endorsed.
Councilmembers asked about community outreach, interagency authority (the university and the Forest Service have independent controls over their parcels), cultural and ecological sensitivities (particularly in Twin Peaks), and emergency access and fire considerations. Fonner said the department will follow the zone process, seek community feedback on designs, and work through agreements when private parcels or other agencies' lands are involved.
At the end of the briefing a councilmember asked for a straw poll endorsing the zone development process and release of approximately $200,000 for trail construction/realignment; several council members expressed support for public hearings and community review before final decisions. Staff will publish design documents and pursue required public engagement and interagency approvals before moving to implementation.
