CENTERVILLE—Some local residents and city leaders are concerned about potential development of the east side hillside on property within county boundaries and its impact on access to Centerville trails. Several asked the city council in an April 19 meeting to preserve access. The city council discussed the issue in a May 3 city council work session.

It’s a thorny issue Community Development Director Cory Snyder explained because the hillside includes privately-owned land within the city boundaries, private land under county jurisdiction and Forest Service property. Centerville could only have complete control if it annexed property on the hillside outside its jurisdiction, something that does not seem to have community support, he said.

The concerns of residents and council members seem to stem from an unnamed individual appearing to buy up parcels on the hillside within county limits and the fear that he may try to develop them. Currently, the area is zoned by the county for one unit per 40 acres or resort use, Snyder said.

“We know that there’s a gentleman who has purchased a significant amount of property, thinks he’s in a position to be able to develop it,” Councilmember Bill Ince said. “My understanding from my basic knowledge is that it’s contrary to the current plan. It’s not something that I think we would be sympathetic towards; I think he’s dreaming.”

In situations like those, the only recourse the city has is to make its concerns known to county officials, Snyder said. However, if attempts were made to develop on the hillside, it’s likely the developer would look to Centerville for basic services, through a request for annexation. It’s not something Centerville is likely to support unless very stringent requirements outlined in the city’s Foothills Management Plan are met, he said.

The city would need to negotiate with property owners, and with the county to secure trail access. Trails are much more difficult to acquire than just roads through development because “you have to show a cause, you have to show a connection,” Snyder said.  

“My concern is I don’t want people to be able to shut the access off to our trails so then we’ve got to negotiate and give … them higher density in order for them to let us use the trail,” Councilmember Robin Mecham said.

The city can under certain conditions require development to comply with its trails master plan, Snyder responded.

“I think it’s difficult for Centerville right now unless you have a negotiation process that’s attractive, either goodwill or through development and master planning and trails planning to influence the trails up there,” he added. “For Centerville, our best bet right now in the current conditions is to negotiate with the county – see where they are at, see where they are spending their funds and using our stakeholder input.”

At an April 19 council meeting, several residents expressed a desire to ensure preservation of trail access on the hillside. At the May 3 regular council session, several of the same people spoke about the issue. Al Phelps asked the council to look into finding funding to help the city purchase land on the hillside to ensure continued access to the trails.

“I would just love to be a voice that says yes please figure this out because two-thirds of that hillside has private land up above Firebreak Road before you hit Forest Service land,” he said. “Two-thirds of Centerville hillside approximately, and while there’s not official trails on that two-thirds of forest service land there’s a lot of unofficial ones people go on. There’s a lot of hunters that use them, a lot of general hikers like myself or runners ... that like to bushwhack, and it would be a shame to lose that access. The very best way I see of keeping access is to own land…I do think the city could do more to potentially help those get access and maintain access.”

“Many other people … come for access to the hillside,” Dave McFall said. “To us it’s a really important issue … Once we develop up there, whatever space will be developed, whatever will happen, will be that way forever, and so what we have up there now is so valuable and we need to consider that value and realize that many, many Centerville residents use and access our hillside regularly.”

The council plans to keep studying the issue. l