Wednesday, November 23, 2022
Salt Lake City Parks Bond
Voter-approved bond will fund a regional park in Glendale and greenspace improvements citywide.
Posted By Babs De Lay on November 23, 2022, 4:00 AM
Hopefully, you voted in the midterm elections. Salt Lake City residents passed an $85 million bond to fund more parks and trails projects, which will cost the average homeowner roughly $54 per year for 20 years, beginning in 2024.
The biggest project to be funded will be the Glendale Regional Park, which will convert the former Raging Waters water park on 1700 South into a new, 17-acre park, comparable in scope to Liberty and Sugar House parks, but on the city's oft-forgotten west side.
The attraction of a giant wave pool and water slides—at times called Wild Wave and Seven Peaks—fell into disrepair and shut down in 2018. The new plan includes community gathering spaces, trails, a hilltop overlook, playgrounds and sport courts, with the addition of unique elements supporting the surrounding neighborhoods' identities and histories, increased placemaking based on community input and desires, and the addition of multilingual representation and wayfinding signage.
Salt Lake City, itself, could use those kinds of funds to update the wayfinding signs from the Olympics that are outdated and faded around downtown.
Other bond items include completion of the Folsom Trail—where there is one critical section missing between 1000 West and the Jordan River Parkway; a new park in the Granary District; restorative landscaping along the Jordan River Parkway to help improve air and water quality; to-be-determined improvements to at least one park in each city council district; replacement of the well-worn but actively used Rotary Playground area in the northwest area of Liberty Park; improvements to Fairmont Park—including enhanced public access and hopefully new uses of the Boys and Girls Clubs' tennis courts; and landscape and preservation improvements to historic Allen Park across from Westminster College.
The city has surveyed residents and found that residents were using parks more because of COVID-19, and with the city's anticipated growth, it's important to preemptively plan for green space in the city's overall development. I sat in on a charrette about our parks several years ago when I served as a volunteer Planning and Zoning commissioner for the city. One expert—who came in to lead the discussion—mentioned that he really didn't think the capital city, or the valley, needed more parks, because you could be in the mountains here in 15 to 30 minutes. Currently, there are more than 100 parks and numerous trails throughout the Salt Lake Valley.
Liberty Park was established in 1882 and is second in size to Sugar House Park. That park came as a result of the state Legislature passing a statute in 1947, setting aside the land from the old state prison as a state park.
Sugar House Park isn't targeted for any major renovations under the bond, but recognizing that when it snows, we have a great sledding hill there, I would have suggested the addition of some infrastructure to assist sledders—such as a railing or stairs to use for climbing back up the hill—and possibly an ice rink and maybe some pickleball courts.
I also think we need a year-round space in one of our city parks for roller derby in the summer and hockey in the winter.
About The Author
Babs De Lay
A full-time broker/owner of Urban Utah Homes and Estates, Babs De Lay serves on the Salt Lake City Historic Landmark Commission. A writer and golfer, you'll find them working as a staff guardian at the Temple at Burning Man each year.
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