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Sandy • Salt Lake County and Sandy leaders announced Friday that they would scrap plans for a paved trail through a popular nature preserve and focus on general park improvements instead.
The announcement comes in reaction to a backlash by a grass-roots group that included equestrians who ride on Dimple Dell Regional Park's unpaved North Rim Trail. The group gathered more than 6,000 signatures from people opposed to the asphalt trail, though a county poll showed that a majority of residents wanted the North Rim paved.
Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams said the county would create a task force that will study how best to spend $4 million to improve the park, raised through a recently passed parks bond.
"I have seen the passion and the enthusiasm of the residents who spoke up on behalf of their vision for the park's future," McAdams said. "The feedback that we heard helped for me and my team to conclude that paving the North Rim Trail of Dimple Dell Park is not what should happen."
Instead, the officials will focus on capital improvements throughout the park that may include new signs, overlooks and, eventually, an opened tunnel and paved trail west of 1300 East, Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan said.
Monica Zoltanski, an equestrian who spearheaded the opposition, declared victory.
"We are elated that our government is listening to the will of the people," Zoltanski said. "Asphalt is not going into Dimple Dell."
Standing at the wood-chipped trailhead overlooking the park and surrounded by residents on horseback and some holding reins to llamas, dogs and a pony, County Councilman Max Burdick said he was grateful Dolan and others had changed their minds.
"When I first met with Mayor Dolan, he said 'I'm evolving on this,' " Burdick said, "and he evolved."
Parks and recreation officials said a majority of those surveyed spoke in favor of a paved trail in Dimple Dell, Dolan noted, though Sandy residents, who he pointed out were the park's frequent users, were more likely to be opposed, which prompted him to abandon his support.
The poll of people from southern Salt Lake County said "it has been proposed that improvements and an addition be made to Dimple Dell Park. This would include a new paved trail, improvements to trailheads, signage improvements, and maintenance work." The question said "the new trail will be constructed along the north rim of Dimple Dell Park and will be in addition to the current softwood chip trail."
The poll found 62.2 percent of respondents said they supported the idea, and 30.2 percent opposed. The rest were neutral or unsure.
Martin Jensen, division director of Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation, said the county would have paved over the existing North Rim Trail and built another one to replace it, effectively creating two trails and preserving the ability for horseback riders to continue using the trail.
Horse riders feared the paved trail would bring a rush of bikers and other users who would make it difficult to continue riding in the area. They enlisted the help of Rep. LaVar Christensen, R-Draper.
"I've been with them from the very beginning," said Christensen, who attended the Friday news conference. He said he'd walked the trails with the opposition group called the Dimple Dell Preservation Community.
The task force will begin studying how to move forward immediately, Jensen said. Improvements will begin in 2018.
Twitter: @TaylorWAnderson