Fall 2022 Foothills Trail System Update
Trails Plan and Construction Evaluation Consultation

The Foothills Trail System Plan and Phase I construction consultation began on August 24th. 

This consultation is being conducted by nationally recognized open space and recreational land use planner SE Group and their subcontractors Kay-Linn Enterprises and Applied Trails Research. 

The consultation is estimated to run from now to Summer 2023. 

SE Group’s evaluation of the Foothills Trail System Plan and Phase I of construction will run through this fall and winter. SE Group will be working closely with our ecological and cultural evaluation consultant, SWCA, to integrate their findings. Following the evaluation, findings will be compiled and presented in the form of formal recommendations to stakeholders and elected officials in late spring to early summer 2023. 

Throughout the consultation process, outreach and engagement with internal (the City) and external (advocacy groups and public comment) stakeholders will occur. 

Included in the internal stakeholders are two groups: a technical stakeholder group including key management staff from Public Lands, Engineering and Public Utilities, and a city-wide stakeholder group including representatives from Planning, Transportation, Public Safety, Sustainability, Communication/Engagement, Fire, and SLC911. 

Many external stakeholder groups will be included in the consultation’s outreach and engagement, including key advocacy groups such as Save our Foothills and SLC Trails Alliance, as well as a project website and survey for public comment feedback.
Foothills Trailhead Infrastructure Improvement Project

The Foothills Trailhead Infrastructure Improvement Project consists of the development of new trailheads and amenities at five existing access locations: Victory Road, Bonneville Blvd (Salt Dome), 18th Ave (Hilltop Road), Popperton Park, and Emigration Trailhead. 

SLC Public Lands held public engagement events and a survey to determine which amenities you’d like to see prioritized at the trailheads in September.
I Street Bike Park Management Plan

Public Lands and Public Utilities have created a Letter of Understanding whereas Public Utilities will remain the property owner of I Street Bike Park and Public Lands will become the park’s property manager. 

Public Lands has created a “Stakeholder Working Group” made up of City staff, I Street Bike Park “Senior Stewards,” board members from the Greater Avenues Community Council, and an at-large community member. This working group does not have an official role such as a community council or an advisory board. The group’s purpose is to help Public Lands create an I Street Bike Park management plan. 
Terrace Hills Rehabilitation & Rocky Mountain Power Wildfire Mitigation Project

As presented in the April 2022 City Council meeting, Public Lands drafted a rehabilitation plan to fix the environmental damage above the Terrace Hills trail access points caused by the trenching and closing of the legacy ridgeline jeep trail section of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. The rehabilitation plan was to proceed during the fall and pre-winter season as the best time to attempt active revegetation at that elevation in our climate. The full rehabilitation plan can be found here. 
 
More recently and coincidentally, the City has been contacted by Rocky Mountain Power regarding their Wildfire Mitigation Project in Salt Lake City which would include the replacement of all of the power poles and transmission equipment in the Foothills on Public Lands and Public Utility open space. Their project information can be found here. Their project requires heavy machinery to access the power poles for replacement and will create significant disturbance to open space property and trails. The City is currently reviewing legal documents and easements within its real estate and attorney’s offices and will consult with the Public Lands and Public Utilities Departments on creating access requirements and rehabilitation plans for disturbed trails and natural areas, which may include the aforementioned legacy ridgeline trail section above Terrace Hills trail access points. Once the City and Rocky Mountain Power have agreed upon a project access plan and timeline, we will post public updates. For questions or more information on the Wildfire Mitigation Project, please contact Brant Swander at [email protected]. 
As promised in last September's announcement about the Foothills Trail System Plan, this is a monthly email update about the construction pause and consultant review of some aspects of the plan.