Midway council advances Lundin property conservation terms while brokers trail access

The Midway City Council on June 2 directed staff to continue negotiating revised documents with the Lundin family to preserve the parcel at 900 West Bigler Lane as open space under a conservation easement while settling the details of public trail access.

City Attorney Corbin Gordon told the council that the parties had been negotiating for two years and that some Lundin family members had specifically requested angler access. Gordon said the family had a time-sensitive deadline for final documents and that trail access had always been part of the proposal.

Council Member Lisa Orme framed the transaction: "The City was not buying the Lundin's property. It was buying a conservation easement," she said, noting the value of keeping fields open for farmers and the difficulty fences can create for agricultural operations. Mayor Craig Simons added that the parties had agreed in principle on a crash gate and a V-style squeeze gate for pedestrian access and that "The City would install, own, and maintain the fence."

Council Member J.C. Simonsen emphasized separating public use from livestock, saying that angler access and a mountain-style trail could be acceptable if livestock movement was preserved; he described an "S"-curve gate access as acceptable for pedestrians. Several council members and staff raised concerns about unauthorized vehicle access, e-bikes and horses on the trail and discussed gate configurations to limit those uses.

The council agreed to direct staff to refine the conservation-easement documents to incorporate agreed gate configurations and to continue working with the Lundin family, Utah Open Lands and Wasatch County on final language. No formal purchase of land was proposed; the city will pursue an easement. Staff will return a revised resolution or documents for council consideration.