Sandy City has been in the news a lot lately with the introduction of professional hockey and the new ownership at RSL, and as the gateway to world-class ski resorts. But there’s something you may not know about this city. Sandy City is filled with 60 little islands — pockets of unincorporated Salt Lake County.
During a time of rapid growth in the 80s, homes and subdivisions were emerging quickly adjacent to Sandy, and many were annexing into the city one chunk at a time. These “islands” could mean three homes here, half a block there or, occasionally, an entire neighborhood, all surrounded by Sandy.
A disjointed community creates unique challenges in delivering government services — for example, when the blue trash cans on one side of the street are picked up on Mondays, and the black ones across the street on Wednesdays; when springtime bulk waste piles get picked up on one street but not the street around the block; or when pedestrians discover the sidewalk abruptly ends for 60 feet. Continuity is good for communities. Like a Kandinsky painting, connecting the singular parts — the random circles, the fragmented lines and the contrasting colors — makes us whole.
As neighbors, we walk the same streets, play in the same parks, shop at the same grocery stores, go to the same schools and attend the same churches. We all love living at the base of Little Cottonwood Canyon because of the urban-rural feel. There are few places in the world where one can go from ski slopes to a horseback ride in a wildland park all within the same community.
In our community, we work together to protect our environment while building a strong economic foundation and properly managing growth. In fact, over the last two years, our entire community recently participated in a new Sandy Master Plan to guide growth into future generations. That management plan addresses housing, business, transit and transportation, recreation, and more. The process included more than 2,000 people in more than 150 public meetings and interactive dialogue on a dedicated city web page.
We also held a town hall addressing annexation and how it may impact individuals living in our community. Not surprisingly, during that discussion we learned that those living in both the city and county islands generally want the same unique things: public safety; access to the mountains, parks, and trails; quiet neighborhoods; and a rural feel with urban conveniences. We want to protect the diverse and wonderful fabric of our community and ensure that the historic elements within our community are preserved.
We support the objective of state legislators in passing HB330 and what this new legislation is trying to address — inefficiencies in local government. The Legislature gave us a roadmap to unify.
There are few cities anywhere that offer safe, family-friendly neighborhoods; a strong, healthy economic base; top-notch educational and health care resources; professional sports venues; convention centers and community gathering places; open space; parks and trails; and phenomenal recreational opportunities. We are fortunate to live in a well-planned city that invites residents to participate in the process. We welcome everyone to our city, whether to visit, work or live. We value diversity as we value the unique qualities that make our city shine as one of the best places to live in America.