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SALT LAKE CITY -- Activists fighting a new soccer complex on Salt Lake's west side filed a complaint Tuesday, alleging a conflict of interest on the city's planning commission.
The group says one commissioner should have recused himself from a key vote. That commissioner, however, says he has no conflict, and the city agrees.
- Over 150 acres
- 18 soccer fields
- 4 baseball diamonds
- A large stadium
- A parking lot for 1,300 cars
- Plan approved by voters seven years ago
The project is making its way through the city's planning process, approaching final approval. At issue: the fate of 150 acres of open space west of the Jordan River at 2200 North.
The city wants to build more than a dozen fields for soccer and baseball, plus an arena, training facility and parking lot. But the Jordan River Restoration Network says the area should remain open space.
Last week, the city's planning commission gave the project the go ahead for a rezoning for structural facilities. Now the restoration network is accusing planning commission member Michael Gallegos, who voted "yes," of not disclosing a conflict of interest.
"We believe that if Commissioner Gallegos had been recused, the vote would have been substantially different, and that the petition to rezone would have been tabled and possibly forwarded on with a negative recommendation," says Jeff Salt, with the Jordan River Restoration Network.
Gallegos works for Salt Lake County -- which could become a management partner for the project -- but he says his department has nothing to do with the complex and he has no conflict.
"My division is an entirely separate department from where parks and recreation resides. They're in the community services department, and I fall under human services, and I have not been involved or privy to any discussions or negotiations between Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County and nor would I be," Gallegos says.
The network says it may consider filing lawsuit over the project.
The city council has yet to take final action regarding the issuance of a $15 million bond to build the project.
E-mail: jdaley@ksl.com
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