Transmittal - 6/28/2024 SALT
LAKE CITY
TRANSMITTAL
1 8*4 1
To: Start Date: Date Sent to Council:
Salt Lake City Council Chair 06/28/2024 07/03/2024
Salt Lake City Redevelopment Agency Chair
From:
Employee Name: E-mail
Millar,Tom tom.millar@slcgov.com
Department
Public Lands
Department Director Signature Chief Administrator Officer's Signature*
Director Signed Date Chief Administrator Officer's Signed Date
07/01/2024 07/03/2024
Subject:
Public Lands'Updates on the Emerald Ribbon Action Plan
Additional Staff Contact: Presenters/Staff Table
Tyler Murdock,PL Department Deputy Director, Tyler Murdock,PL Department Deputy Director,
tyler.murdock@slcgov.com tyler.murdock@slcgov.com
Makaylah Maponga,PL Planner,Project Manager Makaylah Maponga,PL Planner,Project Manager
makaylah.maponga@slcgov.com makaylah.maponga@slcgov.com
Tom Millar,PL Planning&Design Division Director,
tom.millar@slcgov.com
Document Type* Budget Impact* Budget Impact:
Information Item Yes
No
Recommendation:
None,informational only.
Background/Discussion(?)
Will the City Council need to hold a public hearing for this item?*
Yes
No
Public Process
Chief Administrator Officer's Comments
ERIN MENDENHALL DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC LANDS
MAYOR , KRISUN RIKER
S y y DIRECTOR
•s•.,,C' 1 T �r
o nn$��..
Date Received:
Jill Love, Chief Administrative Officer Date sent to Council:
TO: Salt Lake City Council DATE: June 271h, 2024
Victoria Petro, Chair
FROM: Kristin Riker, Director
Department of Public Lands(PL)
SUBJECT: Public Lands'Updates on the Emerald Ribbon Action Plan
STAFF CONTACTS: Tom Millar, PL Planning&Design Division Director,
tom.millar(&slcgov.com
Tyler Murdock,PL Department Deputy Director,
bL1er.murdock(&slcgov.com
Makaylah Maponga, PL Planner, Project Manager
makaylah.maponga(&slcgov.com
DOCUMENT TYPE: Information Item
RECOMMENDATION: None, informational only.
Project Overview and Process
The Emerald Ribbon Action Plan launched in July 2023. It will guide the future of
capital investment and operations/maintenance of the Jordan River corridor.The study area for
the plan is the roughly 10 miles of Jordan River and Jordan River Parkway Trail within Salt
Lake City, including all adjacent open spaces owned by the City. In all,the corridor totals 772
acres of land managed by the City as park,the Regional Athletic Complex, golf, greenbelt, and
natural areas.
The final outcomes of the plan will be a community-supported vision for the corridor and
the critical tools Public Lands will need to bring that vision to life over the next 10-20 years:
policy and planning recommendations, a prioritized and phased list for capital improvements
along the river, and operations and management guidelines. Following the completion of the
plan, Public Lands intends to move into implementation of the first phase of improvements
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using the $9 million allocated to the Jordan River Corridor in the 2022 Parks General
Obligation(GO) Bond.
Public Engagement Approach and Outcomes
Community engagement has been an essential element of the Emerald Ribbon Action
Plan.A variety of community outreach tactics have been utilized to learn from diverse
stakeholders,Westside residents, and a broad audience of river users.To date,we've had 1,000
participants in our project engagement. The focus of community engagement activities has been
to serve community members first: providing food, child activities, and translation services for
most of our engagement opportunities. Project materials have prioritized readability and
engaging design. Several rounds of public input through numerous engagement strategies have
worked to align this plan with the community's concerns and desires for the future of the
corridor. One of the most important findings for this project is that the Westside sees the value
and the beauty of the Jordan River.They remember what it once was, and they see what it could
be with the right investment and care.This plan strives to honor that dream.
Phase one of engagement centered on developing a high-level understanding of the
current perceptions and key challenges as well as the dreams and ideas for the future of the
Jordan River Corridor.
• In this phase,we spoke with over 50 technical and community experts through a series
of stakeholder focus groups. Many of these stakeholders continued to be involved
through the Technical (TAG) and Community Advisory Groups (CAG). These groups
have provided additional detailed feedback on plan content,particularly focused on
feasibility and partnerships in the TAG and community perspective in the CAG.
• In partnership with University Neighborhood Partners, a series of Westside resident
focus groups were held to highlight unique diverse and typically unrepresented voices in
the community.The six focus groups were held with the Spanish speaking, Pacific
Islander, Karen, and African refugee communities. Over 5o residents participated in
those group discussions.
• A dinner event was held at the Fisher Mansion Carriage House and grounds in October
2023 in which over too guests representing a diversity of community leaders and
organizations discussed the future of the river.
• Two public workshops were held in November 2023 in which over 140 participants gave
comments.The three key themes heard during this engagement phase were that the
Jordan River Corridor should be a well-maintained natural and cultural sanctuary, a
vibrant community destination, and a place that fosters long-term multigenerational use.
Phase two of engagement(March 2024)built on the high-level ideas from phase one and
distilled them into three high-level themes that reflected different potential priorities for the
corridor: Nature, Culture, and Connectivity.The community compared and provided feedback
on these three themes and the individual strategies proposed in each.
• In this phase,we held a youth workshop with the Northwest Recreation Center to talk
about the river.
• We held two public workshops in March 2024 in which over 150 participants weighed in
on the concepts.
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• An online survey was also available for this phase, and over 50o responses were
recorded.
• Overwhelmingly,the public responded that they desired a focus on a naturalized
corridor that brought a sense of nature to the westside.The key takeaways from this
round of engagement were that people want to prioritize care for nature,would love to
see an enhanced trail system,want to encourage activation in a thoughtful and
sustainable way, and think that safety is a top concern.
For the final and third phase of engagement,the project team identified the top
strategies and desired goals and created detailed site concept designs for five high priority sites
throughout the river corridor. During this phase,which began in June 2024,the public will be
asked to comment on the specific concept design recommendations for each site and to
prioritize proposed categories of improvements for the corridor at large.This engagement phase
will close at the end of July 2024.This will be the final input period for the project.A final public
launch effort will take place in fall 2024.
• Public Lands intends to table at io community events during this engagement phase to
share the ideas.
• Two public workshops will take place in July 2024
• An online survey is available and will be open through the end of July 2024.
The Final Plan Framework
Guided by the ideas collected during the first two phases of public engagement,the
project team developed guiding principles that also form the goals and framework for the final
plan. Early versions of these guiding principles were workshopped by the Community Advisory
Group to produce concise, actionable, and easily understood goals. The guiding principles were
presented to the public in Phase Two of engagement. The recommendations in the final plan will
be organized by these principles, and they will serve as metrics for the Public Lands Department
as we move into implementation.
Guiding Principles:
1. Celebrate the rich ecological and cultural diversity of the corridor.
2. Connect the corridor into surrounding streets,trails, and waterways.
3. Cultivate collective care of the corridor.
4. Restore and enhance the river ecosystem as a peaceful refuge.
5. Activate the corridor to create a safe,vibrant destination.
The Emerald Ribbon Action Plan is also grounded in three themes: Nature, Culture, and
Connectivity.Woven throughout all of these is the concept of Care which supports collective
stewardship to maintain the river corridor.This plan is rooted in the belief that if we care for the
natural environment, it will support and sustain us.
Nature: Nature explores the Restoration, Protection and Care of the natural ecosystems
on and along the river. By centering the needs of the natural environment,the Action
Plan aims to heal and support a healthy ecosystem for generations to come.
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Culture: Culture explores People, Businesses, and Arts along the corridor. By centering
the needs of communities along the river,the Action Plan aims to support healthy
neighborhoods that work hand-in-hand with healthy ecosystems.
Connectivity: Connectivity explores how people Walk, Ride, and Boat along the corridor.
As a major transportation artery,the corridor must meet the needs of many different
users,from local residents going short distances to commuters going long distances, and
everything in between.
The Care portion of the plan will be reflected through policy recommendations and
operations and maintenance guidelines to support ecological health of the river while also
ensuring the long-term care of new and existing assets in the corridor. In line with community
feedback,the operations and maintenance report will set a target for achieving a more
naturalized corridor and will set policy recommendations and maintenance practices for
achieving that goal. The report will set out to evaluate and streamline existing work on the
corridor, including allocation of staff,time, and resources. It will also identify major partners
internal and external to the city that should be key targets for partnerships and agreements to
ensure a broader capacity for improved maintenance on the river. Finally,the report will
identify key goals for focus areas, and it will set metrics in order to evaluate our success.
Five Site Concept Designs
Five sites along Salt Lake City's 10-mile Jordan River corridor were identified for more
detailed design. The five sites were selected by their potential for improvement to achieve key
victories in the three themes: Nature, Culture, and Connectivity.The sites were identified as
high priority and/or high potential areas by the Action Plan's Technical and Community
Advisory Groups and by the public during the first two phases of community engagement. The
improvements proposed for these five sites represent a long-term vision that will require
additional funding to bring to fruition. However, select,high priority projects within each of
these sites will be accomplished in the next 3-5 years using funding allocated to the Jordan River
Corridor in the Parks GO Bond.
The five sites are:
• Rose Park Nature area(woo North to the Rose Park Golf Course clubhouse and bridge)
• Cottonwood Park area(~300 to 50o North)
• Fairpark Urban Core area(North Temple to 200 South)
• Bend in the River and Modesto Park area(Fremont Ave 11105 South] to Three Creeks
Confluence Park)
• Glendale Oxbow area(between the future Glendale Park and 2100 South)
Two of these five concept designs (Rose Park Nature area and Cottonwood Park area)
propose a proactive approach to addressing the levee on the west side of the Jordan River, north
of North Temple.This levee protects hundreds of Westside homes from flood risk. Public Lands
is working closely with Public Utilities and Salt Lake County to find appropriate, thoughtful, and
efficient approaches to improve the levee and minimize flood risk.
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Rose Park Nature Area (i000 North to Rose Park Golf Course)
Rose Park currently has a rich offering of open space along the river in the Roots Disc
Golf Course (Roots) and the Rose Park Golf Course (RPGC) area. This area has a high
concentration of open space directly adjacent to the corridor, although much of it is currently
inaccessible for free,public use. The RPGC driving range,which sits between Roots and the
RPGC clubhouse,has long been underutilized, even as demand for golf has grown citywide since
2020.Additionally, public demands to increase public open space and further naturalize the
Westside have increased. The driving range provides a unique opportunity to expand the park
level of service in Rose Park, invest in new open space, and provide new opportunities for
neighbors and visitors to experience nature. Developing this property into a publicly-accessible
park or open space can also help to accomplish many of our goals for the ecological health of the
river, including expanding the floodplain, creating new wetlands, improving the utility and
securing of the levee, and fostering additional habitat to support biodiversity.
This concept reflects years of conversations to transition the RPGC driving range to a
publicly accessible nature area, securing an additional 15 acres of public open space in the Rose
Park neighborhood. It could also potentially provide the Golf Enterprise Fund with resources for
critical updates and improvements, including an enhanced clubhouse, depending on the source
of property acquisition funding.
This site concept design proposes improvements to and relocation of the levee
throughout this area in order to preserve the many mature trees throughout Roots and the
RPGC. This would create an elevated pathway through Roots and the existing driving range that
would serve as a secondary, slower alternative to the existing Jordan River Parkway trail on the
east side of the river. Existing buildings at Roots would be repurposed and activated,likely in
partnership with a local community organization.New gathering space and amenities including
a nature playground would be added in the existing driving range.A large portion of the driving
range would become a nature preserve with overlooks,boardwalks, nature pathways, and
interpretive signage. This partnership and property sale/purchase with RPGC could result in
additional revenue for RPGC improvements, such as a new and enhanced clubhouse to better
serve golfers, and an introduction of new,publicly-accessible community uses. The clubhouse
would serve as a much-needed resource for paying golf course users while also providing trail
users with place to rest and replenish.The future clubhouse could also serve as an event venue
for the broader community. Steps down to the water would allow visitors to sit by the river or
put in a kayak or canoe.
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Rose Park Nature Area (i000 North to Rose Park Golf Course)
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Cottonwood Park Area (30o to 5Oo North)
Cottonwood Park is divided into two halves by the Jordan River. The park features a
popular fenced off-leash dog area to the north and a park area with a playground,half basketball
court, sand volleyball court,pavilions,picnic tables,and a cricket pitch to the south. Dog park
visitors make up a majority of the park's current users. Most enter from an undeveloped dirt
parking area off of Redwood Road,which will be improved with CIP funding from FY 2023/24
(more details below). The south/west river levee creates a raised berm that blocks site-lines,
creating concealed, unusable areas and emphasizing separation between the two halves of the
park.The Jordan River Parkway Trail is supplemented by an informal desire trail and park
pathways,leading to confusion for those navigating the park or following the trail.
The proposed changes to the area start with wetland restoration and urban agriculture
projects. Realigned trails and new signage help orient trail users and park visitors as they
navigate the trail and the park.Additionally, improved pathway connections, diverse surfacing,
and meandering nature walkways will create new experiences for people walking and bicycling.
In addition to preserving existing field space, new recreation amenities will be focused on North
Star Drive (the south side of the park)to create a welcoming"community porch"that draws in
neighbors,visitors, and nearby office workers. The existing dirt parking lot off of Redwood Road
will be improved to a formal trailhead for the Jordan River Trail and dog park users,including
artwork, signage, new restrooms, and access to a boat ramp.
Similar to the Rose Park Nature Area,this concept proposes a new levee on the south
end of the park. The existing levee would be regraded to allow for better sightlines to the Jordan
River and between the two sides of the park. This would further be supported by relocating the
declining bridge to allow for a more direct physical connection between the two spaces. Steps
down to the water on both sides of the river will foster connection and unity between the core
park and the off-leash dog area. Improved connections to the river and large areas of wetland
restoration will improve the ecological health of this area and create a stronger sense of the
natural environment in the park.
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Cottonwood Park Area (300 to 50o North)
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Fairpark Urban Core Area (Fisher Mansion to North Temple)
The Fairpark Urban Core area is the highlight of anticipated mixed use redevelopment
along the corridor.This area includes an upcoming townhome development, expanded Utah
State Fairgrounds, and the high-profile Power District site and potential MLB stadium.While
the four other selected sites focus more explicitly on site design,this site reflects a strategic focus
in an area of the Jordan River corridor where the City owns very little property. This concept
will be paired with recommendations for policy and planning tools to work with developers and
other property owners to ensure that thoughtful consideration of the river is built into future
growth.
This concept focuses on two anchor areas owned by the City on the north and south ends
of the site—The Fisher Mansion and the Gadsby Trailhead.
1. The City has invested significantly in the Fisher Mansion grounds through the recently
completed Carriage House renovation and the current seismic stabilization of the
Mansion. Continued work on the Mansion can transform the currently underutilized
grounds into a community hub for Jordan River recreation and education. The Mansion
has long been visioned as a site for a kayak-share program to allow more people to get on
the water. Partnerships with vendors or nonprofits can bring new opportunities to the
Mansion, so it may serve as a vibrant destination for the trail.
2. On the north end of this segment,the City has an agreement with the adjacent property
owner to ensure public access to the Gadsby boat ramp and trailhead on the west side of
the river.While the exact design for the future iteration of the trailhead is still to be
determined,the Public Lands Department will work with the Power District developers
to improve the Jordan River experience and create opportunities for flex programming
along the water.
This entire site requires a strong emphasis on safe and comfortable connections due to
large railroad crossings,property constraints, redevelopment potential, and the busy North
Temple intersection. The Jordan River Trail currently travels over much this area on the Archie
and Lois Archuleta bridge. However,with upcoming development and the future Folsom Trail
connection,there will be more opportunities to walk alongside the river, as well.While
impossible now,this concept also envisions that the Jordan River Trail may one day be
connected on both sides of the river,at-grade,to create opportunities for street-level activation
and water visibility.
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Fairpark Urban Core Area (Fisher Mansion to North Temple)
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Bend in the River and Modesto Park Area (Fremont Avenue 11105 South] to
Three Creeks Confluence Park)
Bend in the River and Modesto Park are located between two beloved spaces on the river
—Jordan Park and the International Peace Gardens on the north and Three Creeks Confluence
Park on the south.This segment of the corridor has the highest concentration of active parks
and amenities today,which highlights its potential to create a well-connected, immersive
recreation experience. Once programmed through a partnership with the University of Utah,the
Bend in the River area has fallen into disrepair and the Modesto Park playground and
surrounding areas are in need of significant investment. Failing infrastructure and illegal
activities have contributed to safety concerns in this park. Today's amenities are not oriented
towards existing residences,which further inhibits visibility and intimidates potential users.
New amenities oriented towards the neighbors will attract users from nearby households
for a more intimate neighborhood park experience. Diverse amenities could include shaded
seating, an open lawn, a nature playground, an outdoor classroom or amphitheater,fishing
overlooks, and art.Additional and enhanced pathways on both sides of the river will support the
Jordan River Trail and create a more fluid and connected experience while minimizing unused
areas.A new gateway directly from goo W will provide better access into and out of the park.
The addition of a more formal trailhead at Fremont Avenue (1105 South) on the north end of
this area will provide parking and wayfinding signage, as well as water access through a new
boat ramp.Activation of this park and new amenities will provide a safer experience for park
visitors and trail users passing through. Improvements on the riverbank, nature viewing areas,
and restored wetland will anchor the park in a natural feel even as it becomes more active.
11
Bend in the River and Modesto Park Area (Fremont Avenue[11o5 South]to Three Creeks Confluence Park)
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12
Glendale Oxbow Area(future Glendale Park to 2100 South)
The Oxbow located just north of 2100 South is currently an underutilized area of the
river corridor.Yet,this open space has a very high potential to include restorative, natural
plantings and to give space back to the river. Located away from residences and near the future
Glendale Park, demand for recreation opportunities and active uses will be well met. This opens
the opportunity for this unused land to become a more natural landscape with an expanded
floodplain.
The proposal for this site is to introduce a trailhead with parking on 2100 S to create an
access point to the river corridor along this busy road. To the west of the river,along the golf
course, natural landscaping and additional trees would be added, and wetland would be restored
along an existing spring that currently outfalls directly into the river. This would take a currently
underused and aggressively mowed area into a beautiful and active space.A buffer area of new
trees would add canopy, improving shade on the east end of the course.
A secondary trail would be added on the westside of the river, creating the opportunity
for a looped pathway through this section. This new trail may also eliminate the need to install a
new bridge over the river to reach the future Glendale Park. Sitting areas, interpretive signage,
and wildlife viewpoints create moments for passive recreation and enjoyment of the natural
environment.
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Next Steps
The proposed site concept designs are being presented to the public and the project's two
Advisory Groups for their feedback through the end of July.The concept designs will be
presented through tabling at community events, community council presentations,public
workshops, and an online survey.While the concepts are being vetted,the project team will
continue to refine the maintenance and operations guidelines that will support the
implementation and long-term care of these projects. The final plan will be released to the
public in late 2024.
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