More public comment requested for SLC Green Loop project
Nov 2, 2023, 6:43 PM | Updated: Nov 3, 2023, 10:50 am
SALT LAKE CITY — The city is still asking residents to share their thoughts as they move forward with a big project that will create more green spaces downtown.
The Green Loop design team presented a draft design during an open house Thursday evening.
Last spring a temporary version of a pop-up green loop opened at 200 East. It ran six weeks with food trucks, shops, games, and live music. Now the city has moved on to the next step in the process.
“I think we learned far more than we could have imagined not having done a project like that and it really did serve to get people talking,” Nancy Monteith, senior landscape architect and project engineer for the Green Loop project said.
More than 1,000 people shared their thoughts by filling out a survey after the temporary loop.
“What really kind of came out from all of that was, it made the most sense to put all the open space on one side of the street,” Monteith said. “And so, in many ways that alleviated, a lot of the concerns, particularly on the stakeholders on 200 East for that easy access and mobility.”
City planners looked at every single block in the proposed green loop. They analyzed utilities, emergency access, and adjacent uses. But as the concept moves forward, more community input is still needed.
“We haven’t yet shown what it could be. So we’ve essentially said, where can we put open space and we really want to hear from the community. What would they like to see there,” Monteith said.
The project is part of a much grander plan for Salt Lake City that envisions more trails, parks, trees, and transportation.
“There is a lack of green space downtown. We have so many residents moving in. They need a place to go. They need to place for their dogs. They need a place to be outside and meet their neighbors or have community,” Monteith said. “There is a growing need To provide alternatives to getting around just by car. People who move downtown want to be able to walk where they want to go and your desire to walk places increases as the environment is comfortable and beautiful,”
You can participate in the survey through the end of November by clicking here.
