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SALT LAKE CITY — Gulls and geese crowded the swampy shore of the Sugarhouse Park pond, where Salt Lake County leaders gathered Thursday to urge support of a $90 million parks bond going before voters in November.
Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams, Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski and other local leaders at a news conference at the park encouraged voters to approve Proposition A — a 10-year extension of a tax the county has used to build and maintain parks and recreation opportunities for decades.
"To be clear, taxes will not go up. It will just be an extension of the process that is now several decades old," McAdams said.
If voters approve, the average homeowner will continue paying about $18 a year toward the tax.
McAdams said the Sugarhouse Park pond would be just one of dozens of projects that will benefit from the passage of Proposition A.
"The dredging of the Sugarhouse pond is long overdue and hasn't been done for over a decade," Biskupski said. "The revitalization of this lake will breathe new life into this park and create a safer resource for the birds who migrate here every year."
Biskupski and McAdams said they'll be voting for Proposition A as a wise investment in Salt Lake County's quality of life, while planning ahead for rapid growth over the next 10 years.
"There is literally something for every community (in Proposition A)," McAdams said, highlighting a new Draper recreation center, a Jordan River water trail, a Magna regional park and more mountain trails.
"This funding will help us keep our promise that Salt Lake County will continue to offer our best recreational opportunities possible," he said.
If passed, Proposition A would provide $59 million for 11 new projects and $31 million for upkeep and improvements for existing parks and trails, including:
• Knudsen Nature Park: The $2.7 million project in Holladay would provide a playground, lawn, fishing pond, wildlife education center, amphitheater, water-mill education center, entrance monument and signs, trails, trailhead with transit kiosk, water access, restroom, covered bridges, bicycle racks, parking and restore 475 feet of Big Cottonwood Creek.
• Pioneer Crossing Park: The $3 million project in West Valley City would provide open space, trails, boardwalks, picnic areas, historical education areas, a natural amphitheater, restrooms, small group pavilion, urban camping area and canoe launch.
• Magna Regional Park: The $11.2 million project in Magna would provide multi-use sports fields, a destination playground including water play, an outdoor basketball court and tennis courts, a paved perimeter trail, group picnic pavilions, restrooms, skate spots, open lawn areas and neighborhood access points.
• Cottonwood Heights Recreation Center: The $2.4 million project in Cottonwood Heights would improve the pool, including making the outdoor diving pool ADA accessible, replacing the diving tower with a new structure, and remodeling locker rooms to include family and individual locker rooms.
• Wheeler Farm Outdoor Education Center: The $2.75 million project in Murray would create a 150-person classroom, a greenhouse, demonstration kitchen, offices, storage, and restrooms. Located on the Wheeler Historic Farm property, it would be a year-round learning center.
• Welby Regional Park: The $12 million project in South Jordan would be the first phase of a park development on 10200 South encompassing approximately 47 acres. It would include four or five lighted multipurpose sports fields for soccer, lacrosse, rugby, field hockey and football, as well as a destination playground, restrooms, group picnic shelters and walking paths.
• Jordan River Water Trail: The $2.1 million project in Salt Lake County would install a series of formal boat access points at strategic locations throughout the county’s section of the Jordan River, beginning the implementation of the Jordan River Water Trail.
• White City/Sandy Trail: The $1.65 million project in White City would provide a paved pedestrian and bike trail along an abandoned canal, beginning at 9400 South and running south to Dimple Dell Regional Park, where it would connect to the Sandy Canal Trail and other regional trails, including Dimple Dell, Jordan River and Porter Rockwell.
• Draper City Recreation Center: The $19.5 million project in Draper would provide a 35,910-square-foot recreation center with a competition lap pool, leisure pool with water slide and play amenities, a party room, child care, two dance/multiuse rooms, fitness area, trails, open space, picnic pavilion, expanded parking, restrooms, playground and space for a future gymnasium.
• Multiuse Outdoor Sports Courts: The $25,000 project in Salt Lake City would provide two outdoor multi use sports courts with lights and a storage facility for bikes and equipment.
• Oak Hills Tennis Center: The $1.75 million project in Salt Lake City, along the fifth hole of Bonneville Golf Course, would renovate the existing tennis facility clubhouse building owned by the city and operated by a private concessionaire. The clubhouse would contain locker rooms, as well as meeting, retail and office space. The clubhouse would be fully ADA accessible.
Maintenance and improvement projects include repairing, updating or replacing many amenities at the following locations:
- Dimple Dell Regional Park — North Rim Trail, phase 1.
- Equestrian Park — Maintenance and improvement projects.
- Mick Riley Golf Course — Replace clubhouse, renovate irrigation.
- Mountain Trails — Maintenance and improvement projects.
- Oquirrh Park — Pavilion, playground, restroom, open lawn area.
- Salt Lake County Parks — Complete final phase of central irrigation system.
- Southridge Park — Irrigation renovation, replace tennis courts, build pump track.
- Sugarhouse Park — Dredge pond. For more information, visit hslco.org/parks-recreation-bond.
