Ogden officials compromise to preserve part of ex-school property as green space

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Ogden leaders reached a compromise on whether a former school property should be maintained as open space or sold for development.
The city will buy 1.9 acres of the 4.23-acre parcel for use as green space, and school officials will sell the rest, presumably for home development.
The debate underscored the pressures of balancing housing development and maintaining open space.

OGDEN — After nearly a year of debate about whether to turn a vacant Ogden school property into a park or sell it for home development, city leaders have reached a compromise.

Part of the former Taylor Canyon Elementary land will become city park space and part will be sold, presumably for home construction.

"This is a big win for the city, a big win for the school district, a big win for the neighborhood to be able to set aside some of this space for open space and parks," Mayor Ben Nadolski said Tuesday in a social media post.

Nadolski and neighbors around the site on Ogden's East Bench had initially proposed turning the entire 4.23-acre lot into a park, touting the project as a means of maintaining open space amid growth and development. Other city leaders, though, had noted the need for more housing — a common refrain along the Wasatch Front — hinting that home construction might be a better use of the land.

In the end, the varied players reached middle ground. Per a 4-2 vote by the Ogden City Council on Tuesday, the city will buy 1.9 acres of the land from Ogden School District for $700,000, not the entire parcel. Tuesday's action transfers $700,000 to a special park fund the mayor can tap to finalize the acquisition.

Per a vote last week, Ogden school officials will put the remaining 2.33 acres up for sale once the deal with the city closes. The land is zoned for single-family home construction. Taylor Canyon Elementary closed after the 2021-2022 school year, the school structure was demolished later in 2022 and the land, located in the middle of a residential neighborhood, has sat vacant since then, used by area residents.

Neighbors around the land had banded together and pressed to keep the property open and some lauded Tuesday's action, even if part of the property will be sold for development.

"The top portion of the property will remain a park! So grateful for everyone who has come together to make this happen," Stacia Ryder, one of the advocates for keeping the property open, said via social media.

The two council members who voted against the proposal, Kevin Lundell and Alicia Washington, had instead proposed transferring $10,000 to the special park fund, which already held around $692,000, thus creating the funding necessary for the $700,000 acquisition. The Nadolski administration, however, sought a $700,000 transfer to keep the fund flush with cash should another opportunity to buy land for park space emerge.

In his social media post, Nadolski hinted at the possibility of acquiring land in northern Ogden for use as a park.

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