Glendale Regional Park Community Engagement Update

Over the last few months, our staff has been working closely with Glendale Middle School, Mountain View Elementary School, the Utah Department of Multicultural Affairs (UDMA), University Neighborhood Partners, and the University of Utah's Urban Planning Program to ask local students how they'd like to reimagine the site of the old Glendale water park.


The project team will study the students’ inputs, along with data gained from existing conditions, programming and development studies, and ecological assessment to inform the project team’s development of three alternatives. Opportunities for all Salt Lake City residents and community members to weigh in on the alternatives is planned in early 2022, with the final vision plan expected in spring, and construction of phase 1 improvements completed in spring 2024.

On this webpage, Public Lands will regularly be posting updates about the Development Plan for the former Glendale Waterpark site. You can also follow us on social media for regular updates about plan development and community engagement opportunities. 
A Bounce-Back Year at the Regional Athletic Complex

What a year at the Salt Lake Regional Athletic Complex! After hosting very few events in 2020 due to COVID-19 precautions, the RAC was able to bounce back in 2021:

  • 197-Day Season
  • 36 Tournaments and Events
  • 8,841 Reservation Hours
  • 4,420 Games Played
  • 41 States Represented
  • $640,000 in Reservation Revenue
  • $18 Million estimated Economic Impact
Trail Design and Land Conservation Specialist RFP

As described in our September trails announcement, the City has published a Request For Proposal (RFP) to hire a Trail Design and Land Conservation specialist. The RFP is available for viewing (here) and applications are due by January 17, 2022. The specialist will review the adopted 2020 Foothills Trail System Plan, evaluate Phase I trail construction, and make recommendations for future system planning and management. Their work will include hosting stakeholder meetings for input solicitation and presentation of findings. The applications will be reviewed in January and a selection should be made in February. 
When to Call Urban Forestry After a Snow Storm

With the recent snow (and more in the forecast), it's a great time for a reminder about when to call our Urban Forestry Division to report fallen or broken trees or limbs. If the fallen debris from a public property park strip tree is too large to fit in the brown bin or still hanging in the tree, call (801) 535-7818. If we don't answer, please leave a voicemail with the address, name, and phone number and a detailed description of the problem. Be sure to indicate if there are any tree limbs on top of cars, houses, or sidewalks. Homeowners are responsible to clean up any fallen debris from their own private trees. If the fallen trees or limbs have affected power lines near your home, contact Rocky Mountain Power.
Talking Toilets

Mark your calendars!

On January 11th from 7-8pm, the Friends of Fairmont Park group will host Public Lands staff to discuss ideas for upgrades to restroom services at Fairmont Park and to learn about public toilets that can work for parks and people.

To Join the Meeting on the 11th:

One tap mobile
+13462487799,,85302093224# US (Houston)
Dial by your location
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
Meeting ID: 853 0209 3224
Allen Park Winter Reminder

With snow in the forecast, remember that Allen Park may experience temporary closures throughout the winter.

There are a number of factors that make snow and ice removal at Allen Park challenging. Allen Park has only one walkway, and having snow and ice on it presents obvious safety hazards.
If you see snow and ice outside, be sure to check slc.gov/parks/allenpark/ before you visit the park to see if we've posted any closure information.
Love Your Block Program Update

Earlier this year, we announced that Salt Lake City has been selected as one of eight U.S. cities to participate in the Cities of Service Love Your Block program and will receive $100,000 to launch a new westside initiative focused on revitalizing the Jordan River Corridor.

Salt Lake City’s Love Your Block Initiative will support westside communities in revitalizing portions of the Jordan River Corridor into vibrant community spaces, one block at a time. The program is centered on empowering the local community (both housed and unhoused residents) to identify and implement projects that contribute to their neighborhood identity, increase their cultural connection to the natural world and express their stories through landscapes, structures, and placemaking.

We are excited to introduce you to our Love Your Block Team:
Anna Peabody – AmeriCorps VISTA
Anna Peabody serves as an AmeriCorps VISTA on the Love Your Block Jordan River Initiative. A graduate of Indiana University Bloomington, Anna spent the past five years as a professional ballet dancer, performing around the United States. During the pandemic, her passion for social and environmental justice grew immensely, leading her to pursue a new career path. She was born in Baltimore, MD and raised along the Chesapeake Bay, where she witnessed the adverse effects that pollution has on life both within and surrounding these vital watersheds. She also experienced the health of the Chesapeake Bay rebound through community involvement, restoration programs, and legislative advocacy. Being a new resident of Salt Lake City, she is excited to connect with the community and explore the beauty of Salt Lake City.
Ravi Sharma – AmeriCorps VISTA
Ravi P. Sharma was raised and educated here in the Salt Lake valley, recently earning a B.S. in Political Science from the University of Utah in the spring of 2021. Having moved here just before Utah’s stunning natural landscapes were shown to the world on the Olympic stage, he learned from an early age this area has unique access to beautiful green spaces, both wild and maintained. Growing up spending time in the mountains, biking through parks, and utilizing public spaces both in Salt Lake City and the county at large instilled an appreciation for the extreme ease of access he was fortune enough to personally enjoy. He looks forward to enabling Salt Lakers to create similar public assets within their own communities.
Darely Flores – Love Your Block Fellow
Darely was born and raised in California. She is a daughter of immigrants and a first generation student. She is in her senior year at Utah Valley University with a Bachelor of Science in Sociology. She is planning to attend graduate school next fall in Organizational Leadership. She is passionate about helping immigrant families and the education their children receive. She has also immersed herself into the low-income subsidized non-profit world by working with public education systems and their partners. When she is not working at nonprofits or volunteering, in her free time she likes to spend time with her husband and dogs.
Stay tuned for more updates during 2022 from the Love Your Block Team!