A key Provo land parcel at the foot of a popular canyon east of the city is “not for sale” amid expansion plans from a nearby water park, the city’s mayor says.
“(The) owner’s proposal to buy this land is fully and completely declined. No sale can happen without my approval. So this puts an end to it,” said Provo Mayor Michelle Kaufusi in a video posted to social media on Monday.
Splash Summit Waterpark executives unveiled plans earlier this year for a new development area that’s a few blocks southeast of its current location and directly north of Slate Canyon Park. The plan would include new retail and housing space, along with a hotel. But doing so would require the acquisition of land owned by the city.
“We’re looking at expanding the park to be even bigger, better,” David Osmond, Splash Summit’s chief entertainment officer, told KSL-TV in May, adding that the idea was in its “really early stages.”
Osmond explained that the new development would blend everything into the landscape. He said the project would move it closer toward the canyon, but not into the canyon itself, keeping the mountains “pristine.”
However, the concept didn’t sit well with many residents after it was brought to them in a neighborhood meeting.
A few trails, including the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, are located in the area. Slate Canyon itself features a popular trail with scenic views of the valley, and it’s home to many wildlife species.
Hundreds of people signed an online petition asking Provo to oppose the project, primarily due to concerns about the impacts it would have on public land and the surrounding neighborhood.
“When it comes to beautiful places like natural canyons that are already owned by the public, we should keep them in public hands,” said Jeff Whitlock, who lives near the canyon, in May.
That message made it to the top of Provo leadership over the past few months.
While Kaufusi said she has no issues with Splash Summit’s desire to improve their water park, she added on Monday that she would not let it come at the expense of the canyon.
“The residents of this neighborhood — together with my team and I — have a shared vision for this area. We want to enhance it for those who live here,” she said. “I am holding to that shared vision. ... And just so we’re absolutely clear: Slate Canyon is not for sale.”
It’s unclear what that means for the water park’s future growth plans. The company also explored an expansion that would redevelop the existing Utah State Hospital; however, a key provision in a bill opening the door for this was removed before it passed in the Utah Legislature last year.