After years of evaluation and two rounds of public meetings, over five thousand Utah residents have voiced their opinions about what should be contained in the new master plan being drafted by Wasatch Canyons Tomorrow. The final stages are fast approaching and any decision made will change the way we recreate in the Wasatch Mountains forever.
The entire process is about adopting new land-use policies to replace the Salt Lake County 1989 Wasatch Canyons Master Plan. This plan is the blueprint for how we use the land in City Creek, Emigration, Red Butte, Parley’s, Mill Creek, Big Cottonwood and Little Cottonwood Canyons.
Last summer, Salt Lake County, through Envision Utah, has been asking for public input as part of a planning process called Wasatch Canyons Tomorrow. As a result, they got a good idea of how canyon users want to protect and recreate in the Wasatch Mountains, while still protecting the natural environment. Some suggestions have included decreasing the number of cars and increasing public transportation, adding bike lanes, and limiting new development.
Wasatch Canyons Tomorrow is hosting two open houses where Utahns can evaluate all the options that have been considered for dealing with the watershed, recreation, transportation and new development in the canyons. Everyone who enjoys outdoor recreation along the Wasatch Front is encouraged to attend and make their opinion known. The locations and times of the open houses are as follows:
Tuesday, March 23rd
West High School (in the “commons area”) – 241 North 300 West, Salt Lake City
Canyons School District Office (auditorium) – 9150 South 500 West, Sandy
Wednesday, March 24th
Skyline High School (cafeteria) – 3251 East 3760 South, Salt Lake City
Sandy City Hall (2nd floor multi-purpose room) – 10000 Centennial Parkway, Sandy
All open houses are from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. If you are not able to attend any of the open houses, then it’s not too late to complete the online survey that can be found at www.wasatchcanyons.slco.org, which will go live on Thursday, March 25th.