PROVO, Utah (KUTV) — While many cities across the Wasatch Front are building more and more into the foothills around canyons, one in Utah County voted to protect one of its parks as open space, ensuring that development isn’t an option.
On Tuesday, the Provo City Council voted to amend the 2023 Parks and Recreation master plan for the Slate Canyon Park area.
Language in the current plan reportedly allows for some single-family residential development to be considered, to help fund park development.
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“I know that this has been quite some topic of discussion, and the application was initiated by the city council staff,” Provo City Planner DeAnne Morgan said.
Slate Canyon Park is a gem for people looking to get outdoors in the area.
“I love protecting as much of this area as possible. Yeah, I love the wilderness that just extends all this way,” said Neil, who is a Provo resident and was hiking in the canyon Thursday morning.
The idea at the meeting, to stop development from happening, was to get rid of the line in the plan that would allow for it.
“Eliminating this single line from the plan will just clarify the intent of the city to support the goals of the master plan that I outlined, for preserving open space and protecting the vulnerable foothills area,” Morgan said.
“If it means preserving this area from development similar to what has gone on in other canyons, then that’s I think the way forward for Provo,” Neil said.
Councilors at the meeting were also on board.
“I like the message that it sends to the community that we do respect the desires of the public,” Provo City Councilor Becky Bogdin said.
“That neighborhood has been very clear: they want to keep that space as open space and help that be just a wonderful neighborhood, and I think this is a very appropriate next step,” Provo City Councilor Craig Christensen said.
The vote to preserve the open space was unanimous, 7-0.
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