HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Provided Information - 7/1/2025CITY COUNCIL OF SALT LAKE CITY
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COUNCIL TAFF EPORT
CITY COUNCIL of SALT LAKE CITY
TO: City Council Members
FROM: Brian Fullmer, Policy Analyst
DATE: July 1, 2025
RE: Alley Closure at Madsen Park (approximately 9 North Chicago Street)
BRIEFING UPDATE
During a May 6, 2025 briefing a Council Member clarified the alley property proposed for closure is within
Madsen Park. The Council was generally supportive of the proposal.
The following information was provided for the May 6, 2025 briefing. It is included
again for background purposes.
ISSUE AT-A-GLANCE
The Council will be briefed about a proposal from the Salt Lake City Department of Public Lands to close a
portion of an alley within Madsen Park, between 1000 West and Chicago Street in City Council District
Two. The alley is approximately 300 feet by 15.5 feet, or 1/10 acre. The alley segment does not appear to
have been used as a public right-of-way for many years and has been incorporated into Madsen Park as
part of a multi-purpose field and basketball court. The alley is unusable for access to any nearby properties.
The reason for the alley closure request is in preparation to consolidate various parcels that comprise
Madsen Park into one to facilitate park improvements funded by the Parks, Trails, & Open Space General
Obligation (GO) Bond.
Goal of the briefing: Review the alley closure and determine if the Council supports moving forward
with the proposal.
Item Schedule:
Briefing: May 6, 2025
Set Date: May 20, 2025
Public Hearing: July 1, 2025
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Aerial image showing parcels comprising Madsen Park
highlighted in yellow. The subject alley is shown with yellow dashes.
Image courtesy of Salt Lake City Planning Division
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Madsen Park was selected as a Reimagine Nature Park to receive funding from the GO bond. Consolidating
the parcels will allow building permits to be issued for park improvements that will be determined
following a public engagement process. Building permits cannot be issued for projects that cross property
lines or encroach into public rights-of-way.
City code outlines the process for vacating alleys, but not for closing them and the City retaining
ownership. The proposed closure is following State code. Planning Commission review is not required
under State code when an alley is closed and the City retains ownership of the property, provided it is
converted to another public use. As noted in the project chronology below, a required 45-day public
comment period was held. The Planning Commission did not review or make a recommendation to the
Council regarding the subject alley closure.
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State code (included at the end of this report) requires the City Council to hold a public hearing and adopt
an ordinance to indefinitely close the alley. At least one of the following conditions must be met.
A. The alley to be closed is not necessary for vehicular travel.
B. The closure is necessary to correct or mitigate injury to private or public land resources on or near
the portion of the alley to be closed, or
C. The closure of the alley is necessary to mitigate unsafe conditions.
Planning staff noted that since the alley hasn’t been used as a vehicular right-of-way for many years, no
property relies on it for access, and the alley has never been paved, the Council may find the proposed
closure is warranted under condition A.
PROJECT CHRONOLOGY
• November 14, 2024 –
o Early notification notices mailed to all property owners and residents within 300 feet of the
alley portion proposed to be closed.
o Notice of the 45-day comment period provided to the Fairpark and Poplar Grove
Community Councils.
• November 15, 2024 – Notice of the proposed alley closure posted at the property.
• November 26, 2024 – Online open house posted to the Planning Division’s webpage. The open
house will remain open until a City Council vote.
• April 24, 2025 – Transmittal received in City Council Office.
No comments have been received by the Planning Division or City Council Office as of the writing of this
report.
ALLEY CLOSURE PROCESS
Title 72-5-105 (4), (5), and (7) (Rights of Way) in Utah State Code regulates closing an alley in the
proposed manner.
72-5-105. Highways, streets, or roads once established continue until abandoned -- Temporary
closure -- Notice.
ordinance to temporarily or indefinitely close the road.
shall:
the highway, as a class B notice under Section 63G-30-102, for at least four weeks before the day of the
hearing.
of time, if the local highway authority makes a finding that:
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