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Show SLC votes W to NSL land request By JUDY JENSEN NORTH SALT LAKE A proposal to de-annex 80 acres of property from Salt Lake City to North Salt Lake was denied by the Salt Lake City council on Tuesday. The property which is owned by North Salt Lake is located high in the northern foothills of Salt Lake City. Allen C. Johnson, Deputy Director Direc-tor of the Salt Lake City planning and zoning department, told the Salt Lake City council members that the area according to the city's foothill zoning ordinances should remain "a natural backdrop to the city." He said if the area was developed, de-veloped, rooftops from the houses could be seen from the Salt Lake valley and would be "contrary to the backdrop policy." The area also acts as a watershed and wildlife refuge for deer according accord-ing to Johnson He argued that the work done by the CCC's in the area to protect the drainage would be upset by any development in the area. He told the council that Salt Lake City was the logical agency to have jurisdiction over this property proper-ty and any development in the area would serve as an "equivocal blow as established by our master plan." North Salt Lake attorney Mike McCoy explained to the council that North Salt Lake was also interested in-terested in preserving the watershed water-shed and (hat any development in the area would have to adhere to the North Salt Lake foothill ordi- Contlnued on page two SLC votes W to NSL land request Continued from page one nance. "But." he argued, "it is not your water shed it's ours." According to McCoy the North Salt Lake City enineer Fred Campbell Camp-bell has completed a study in the area which indicates that the natural natu-ral drainage in the area flows toward to-ward North Salt Lake not Salt Lake City. McCoy told the council that the area is a logical extension of North Salt Lake's foothill development. de-velopment. Owner of an adjacent piece of property explained that the area in question is a flat piece ot land. "My property has been in my family 100 years and for 50 years Salt Lake City has talked about putting in a road and they've done nothing. I see this as an opportunity to make the area productive." He argued that the water shed is not affected by a flat piece of property. He said he felt the council should see the property before they made a decision. deci-sion. Councilman W.M. Stoler asked Johnson if Salt Lake City had anything any-thing to gain by de-annexing the property. Johnson responded that they did not. He further explained that the 80 acres in question is currently cur-rently in close proximity to several gravel pits. Johnson initmated that North Salt Lake wants the property proper-ty de-annexed so they may sell it as another gravel pit. "It walks like a duck, it looks like a duck, it sounds like a duck, it must be a duck," he said. A motion was made to deny the proposal and was unanimously approved. North Salt Lake has the option of appealing the decision in court. North Salt Lake City councilman Ken Millard said city officials will investigate all of their options before be-fore they take further action in the matter. |