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Open Space Planning
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Background Since March
of 2000, the Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC) and the Regional Open
Space Committee have been involved in the Regional Open Space Planning
Study. An opportunity for funding the
study was made possible through planning grants from the State’s Quality
Growth Commission and Envision Utah, in-kind services from Utah State
University and the WFRC, and cash and in-kind services from the Region’s
participating counties–Morgan, Tooele, Weber, Davis, and Salt Lake. Other funds were provided directly to The Study,
under the guidance of the WFRC’s Regional Open Space Committee and staff, was
conducted in two phases over a period of two and one-half years. It was concluded in June of 2003. The study was unique because it involved an
entire region comprised of 58 different political entities, and a relatively
vast geographic area of almost 10,000 square miles. Normally, open space
planning is conducted on a local community level. The purpose of the study was to increase
the region’s awareness of open space, establish a regional open space data
base and mapping for use by local governments. In addition, regional open space
definitions and guidelines for possible use by local governments, and identify
opportunities to create an interconnected, regional open space network. Phase I - Data
Collection/Analysis/Mapping During Phase
I of the Study, Utah State University (USU) and Swaner Design, Inc. collected
the available information and developed a database (geographic information
system) related to the Region’s open space from a variety of sources. The Region’s five counties were divided
into three distinct landscapes for research and analysis: Eastern Mountain,
the Urban/Lake Interface, and the Western Desert/Lake. After gathering the information, the study
team created five models showing how land could be protected across the
region using different justifications for each preservation scenario. Subsequently, the best aspects of the
different models were combined into a conceptual open space map. A population growth trend scenario was used
in conjunction with the conceptual open space map to determine the areas in the
region where open space would be threatened by development. Also, a number of community and region-wide
surveys on public attitudes to open space issues were collected and
evaluated. This first phase of the
study was concluded with a report prepared by USU’s Phase II - Workshops/Open Space
Values/Concept Open Space Map Phase I of
the study was used as a framework, or basis for Phase II of the study. This phase involved the establishment of a
Leadership Team comprised of numerous community leaders (mayors, planners,
city administrators, and other officials.
This group was asked to spearhead the effort to involve the citizenry
in identifying open spaces that they valued in their community. Also, a series of community-based
stakeholder workshops were held for each county of the Region in an effort to
obtain specific information on open space areas that these stakeholders
valued, and to help build and refine the concept plan map. In this phase, additional data was gathered
and mapping was accomplished for building a composite map of critical
resources and landscapes, a concept open space plan map was developed, and
implementation strategies identified.
This second phase of the study was concluded with a report prepared by
Swaner Design, Inc. entitled Regional Open Space Planning Study. For more information about Phase II of the
study and the report, contact George Ramjoué.
Copies of the report can be provided upon request in the form of a
CD-Rom by contacting George Ramjoué. Also, the report can be viewed
by following this link. What Next? Actions by the Citizen and Local
Governments This project was conceived in three
phases: data collection and analysis; design and planning; and
implementation. The first two phases
are now complete, but have only begun to break ground on the true purpose of
this process–action. The analysis and
design in this plan [study] are just a basis for people to understand the
situation and make informed decisions.
The implementation of these ideas is the most lengthy and complex
task–in fact, it never ends.
Communities need their own open space plans and need to update and
adjust them over time as their land uses change. They also need staff and funds to carry out
plans and build the open space network.
This is a critical juncture in the process. If support continues into another phase, communities
will be able to get a foothold and begin plans and funding efforts, hopefully
supported by larger-scale efforts to achieve the same goals [that of
preserving open space according to a regional plan]. If the support and action stops here, the
years of work building to this point will fall short of their goal of truly
transforming the future of the Wasatch Region. It is essential that these efforts continue
into a third phase of education, public awareness, and seeking further
funding and staff support resources. (Excerpt
from page 62 of the Regional Open Space Planning Study document.) Staff Contact: George Ramjoue |
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Updated March 2, 2006 |
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Wasatch
Front Regional Council Salt
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comments to wfrc@wfrc.org |
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