Salt Lake City Open Space Program

Contact: Emy Storheim 535-7730

Project:

Wasatch Hollow Preservation Project

1665 E. Kensington Ave.

Project Description

Property's current and past use:

The property to be acquired is held privately with one residential structure located on one of the three parcels that constitute the 1.92 acre acquisition. The new appraisal underway will value the existing house separately from open land.  The property owner is now a willing seller.  In the past, there had been plans to develop 11 and then 4 residential lots on the site adjacent to the Emigration Creek. The additional adjacent lands to be brought in to this project through easements are used much like the rest of the creek corridor and sustain unofficial use and unplanned trails.   

There is historical significance with the settlers who followed the route of the creek down Emigration Canyon to the first encampment site. The project area also has historical ties to the Utah State Penitentiary, which occupied the site of the current Sugarhouse Park from 1855 to 1952. According to a 1952 report by the engineering firm of Caldwell, Richards and Sorenson regarding the water rights of the state as they related to the prison, it was noted that “Hodgson Springs are located in the bottom of Emigration Canyon hollow near 17th South and 17th East Streets.” In 1940 these springs had flow 128,000 gallons per day. Hodgson Springs were eventually capped and covered by fill. They are directly beneath the property we are attempting to acquire.

Surrounding properties and area including neighborhood characteristics:

The proposed Wasatch Hollow Preservation Project is unusual for the variety of aesthetic values and open space opportunities it provides to the community.  The channel of Emigration Creek opens in the midst of the adjacent residential neighborhoods and views of it from “above”—along the rim of the gully—are accessible to all, ready reminders of the natural environment that has for the most part retreated from our urban setting. The green canopy of trees and the meanders of Emigration Creek can be enjoyed from no less than three churches, the LDS Colonial Hills Ward, the LDS Hillside Stake Center, and the Wasatch Presbyterian Church. Emigration Creek borders Clayton Middle School, providing a rich opportunity for our students to observe and participate in the changing of the seasons and to listen to the voice of the stream. The property also borders the existing Wasatch Hollow Park, a developed park already visited by many families, children, and neighborhood residents, and the view up the stream corridor from the park is expansive. Residents are fortunate to live in walkable neighborhoods, and these same views are available from many places above the creek; a quick trip to the market can become an opportunity to engage with the natural presence of this valuable open space, a reminder that we are part of, not separate from, the environment in which we live.

Proposed use and purpose for the property if it is acquired and protected as open space:

Purchase of approximately 1.92 acres of open land adjacent to Emigration Creek. This land has attracted much development speculation and with out funding could be sold and developed. A direct result of the acquisition will be a donation of 3.544 acres of open land adjacent to Emigration Creek.  This property is currently owned by the LDS Church, and would provide additional open space connecting the property described above, creating a continuous open creek corridor. Another result of the purchase could be the donation of an easement encompassing at least two acres of open land adjacent to Emigration Creek which would present restoration opportunities further up-stream. This property is currently owned by Rocky Mountain Power, and the company has stated its willingness to negotiate this easement.

By bringing this land under Open Space management, impacts from visitation and uses can be planned for and the function and health of emigration creek can be restored and protected.

The assemblage of the above mentioned properties will preserve the last remaining open space along the unburied section of the Emigration Creek Corridor within the urban area, providing an opportunity for the public, including future generations, to observe and experience the creek in a natural setting, yet within a major city.  Maintaining a sense of connectivity with the natural setting along creek corridors in Salt Lake City is an essential part of the Salt Lake City Open Space Plan.

Planning for use and management of this area will take place after acquisition through a publicly driven process with consultants and specialists.

Access to the property (nearest road, trail, or other public right of way):

Access from 1700 south through Wasatch Hallow Park is possible.  There is also the opportunity to develop access to the acquisition site from the terminus of Kensington Avenue east into hollow on to area of fill adjacent to stream. The City is very aware of concerns of residents to protect privet property form trespassing and illegal activities.

Access on or across the property:

There are unofficial trails along the creek and throughout the site. There will be a planning process that takes place after the land is secured to determine access and suitable uses that are compatible with the natural systems of Emigration Creek as well as community input.