HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Provided Information - 5/5/2026CITY COUNCIL OF SALT LAKE CITY
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COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
CITY COUNCIL of SALT LAKE CITY
TO:City Council Members
FROM:Brian Fullmer, Policy Analyst
DATE:May 5, 2026
RE: Alley Closure at Jefferson Park (approximately 1100 South West Temple)
ISSUE AT-A-GLANCE
The Council will be briefed about a proposal from the Salt Lake City Public Lands Department to
indefinitely close two alleys within Jefferson Park, between Fremont Avenue and Goltz Avenue, west of
West Temple in City Council District Five as shown in the image below.
An east/west alley is approximately 15 feet wide and 110 feet long. The other alley runs north/south and is
approximately 16 feet wide by 275 feet long. (It is important to note that a portion of the east/west alley
outside the park is used by residents on Goltz Avenue to access their properties and not affected by the
proposed alley closures. This section of the alley would remain open.)
Neither alley has been used for vehicular access since the 1980s when the park and detention basin were
created. The alleys are part of a grassy field in the park.
Parcels comprising Jefferson Park would be consolidated into one parcel for park improvements funded by
the Parks, Trails, and Open Space general obligation (GO) bond and Capital Improvement Project (CIP)
funding. If the alleys were closed, they would continue to be part of Jefferson Park.
Goal of the briefing: Review the proposed alley closures and determine if the Council supports moving
forward with the proposal.
Item Schedule:
Page | 2
Aerial image showing alleys within Jefferson Park highlighted in yellow.
The green shaded alley portion would not be closed under the proposal.
Image courtesy of Salt Lake City Public Lands Department
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Jefferson Park was selected as a Reimagine Nature park to receive funding from the GO bond. As noted
above, it also received CIP funding for park improvements. Consolidating the parcels will allow building
permits to be issued for park improvements currently in the early design phase. It is difficult to review and
issue building permits 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 with the City retaining
ownership. The proposed closures follow State code 72-5-105 (4), (5), and (7) included below. 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.
State code 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.
Since the alley hasn’t been used as a vehicular right-of-way for many years, and no property relies on it for
access, Public Lands staff found the proposed closure is warranted under condition A.
PROJECT CHRONOLOGY
May 21, 2025 – Notice of the 45-day comment period provided to the Ballpark and Central Ninth
Community Councils.
May 27, 2025 –
o Notice of the proposed closure posted at the property.
Page | 3
o Early notification notice sent to all property owners and residents within 300 feet of both
alleys.
June 3, 2025 – Online open house posted to the Planning Division’s webpage. The open house will
remain open until a City Council vote.
July 5, 2025 – 45-day comment period ends.
December 15, 2025 – Notice of the proposed alley closures sent to abutting property owners.
April 21, 2026 – 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.
(4)To authorize a closure of a road under Subsection (3) or (7), a local highway authority shall pass an
ordinance to temporarily or indefinitely close the road.
(5)Before authorizing a temporary or indefinite closure as described in Subsection (4), a highway authority
shall:
(a)hold a hearing on the proposed temporary or indefinite closure;
(b)provide notice of the hearing by mailing a notice to the Department of Transportation; and
(c)except for a closure under Subsection (3)(c)(iii), provide notice to the owners of the properties abutting
the highway, as a class B notice under Section 63G-30-102, for at least four weeks before the day of the
hearing.
(7)(a)A local highway authority may close to vehicular travel and convert to another public use or purpose a
highway, road, or street over which the local highway authority has jurisdiction, for an indefinite period
of time, if the local highway authority makes a finding that:
(i)the closed highway, road, or street is not necessary for vehicular travel;
(ii)the closure of the highway, road, or street is necessary to correct or mitigate injury to private or
public land resources on or near the highway, road, or street; or
(iii)the closure of the highway, road, or street is necessary to mitigate unsafe conditions.
(b)If a local highway authority indefinitely closes all or part of a highway, road, or street under Subsection
(7)(a)(iii), and the closed portion of road is the subject of a lease agreement between the local highway
authority and another entity, the local highway authority may not reopen the closed portion of the road
until the lease agreement terminates.
(c)An indefinite closure authorized under this Subsection (7) is not an abandonment.
Alley Closure –Jefferson Park
Tyler Murdock – Deputy Director of Salt Lake City Public LandsAmy Reid – Associate Landscape Architect
PUBLIC LANDS
Jefferson Park
SITE CONTEXT
Jefferson Park is located in
District 5.
It is a detention basin managed
by Public Utilities and a park
managed by Public Lands.
PUBLIC LANDS
Purpose: Consolidate
parcels within Jefferson
Park for planned
improvements.
Funding: Parks. Trails. & Open
Space General Obligation Bond (GO
Bond), Capital Improvement Project
(CIP) funding, and CRA State Street
funding.
COMMUNITY PREFERRED CONCEPT
Jefferson Park
PUBLIC LANDS
Jefferson Park
PROPOSED ALLEY CLOSURES WITHIN JEFFERSON PARK
PROPOSED ALLEY CLOSURES
A. Portion of east/west mid-block alley
between 200 West and West Temple
•Approx. 100 ft x 15 ft
B. North/South alley between West
Goltz Ave and West Fremont Ave
•Approx. 275 ft x 16 ft
B
A
PUBLIC LANDS
Proposed Alley Closures
W
E
S
T
T
E
M
P
L
E
N
Jefferson Park facing north from West Fremont Avenue
A
B
PUBLIC LANDS
Standards of Approval
STATE CODE 72-5-105 (4), (5), & (7)
Allows an alley to be closed and converted to another
public use (Jefferson Park).
Must fulfill at least one of the following
considerations:
•It isn’t necessary for vehicular travel.
•It’s necessary to correct or mitigate injury to private
or public land resources, OR
•It’s necessary to mitigate unsafe conditions.
PUBLIC LANDS
SUBJECT TO EARLY NOTIFICATION PROCESS IN 21A.10:
•45-day public comment period (RCOs)
•Notification to property owners & residents within 300 ft.
•Sign notice at the property
•Virtual open house
Additional noticing requirements from State Code
CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING AND DECISION:
•Adopt / deny the ordinance
IF APPROVED:
•The closed alley will continue to be part of Jefferson Park
Public Process
THANK YOU
Formore updates about these projects
and all others, scan the QR code or visit the link below.
https://link.slc.gov/publiclandsprojects