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SALT LAKE CITY — After state leaders stuck Salt Lake City's west side with the future Utah State Prison, city leaders have tried to make the best of it, hoping to take advantage of the prison's infrastructure to build out its largest remaining swath of undeveloped land, the northwest quadrant.

But Tuesday, Salt Lake City Council members griped about what Councilwoman Lisa Adams called "the bully on the Hill."

After learning the state's budget for infrastructure might not go as far as planned, council members worried they might not be getting as sweet of a deal as they were initially led to believe — all while dealing with state leaders that have appeared to threaten the city's control over the northwest quadrant's build out.

"At the same time there's this incredible pressure from behind the scenes from the state and even threats to maybe insert themselves in the process if we don't do the right thing," City Council Chairman Stan Penfold said.

That "threat," as Penfold called it, stems from a final-hour bill that was filed at the end of the last legislative session to essentially strip Salt Lake City's control over the northwest quadrant's development.

"When we started this process we were sold; it was like we were going in for a condo, to get a timeshare, right?" Councilman James Rogers said. "They were selling us the world, now they're scaling back and we have these huge annual maintenance fees. I have a real problem with that — I feel like we've been sold a bad bill of goods."

City officials have said the cost of the first two major roads and lines for water, sewer, gas, fiber-optic cables and lighting totals $90 million, of which $47 million will come from the state based on agreements to pay for the prison's needed infrastructure. The city would foot the rest.

I feel like we've been sold a bad bill of goods. –James Rogers, Salt Lake City Council

Lynn Pace, the city's senior adviser, told the council that state leaders have been "true to their word" and will be footing the bill for the prison facility and its infrastructure, but because of rising construction costs and other unanticipated costs, the state's budget may not be able to pay for any extras as hoped.

"The city's position all along is the state's going to put this (prison) in the city against our wishes and the taxpayers are going to end up paying for it, and that's why state leaders repeatedly assured me we will make sure the state pays for all of the costs of the prison. What everyone was hoping was there would be enough money in the budget for betterments — but as time has gone on those betterments keep shrinking and shrinking," Pace said.

That means no street lighting, hookups to water and sewer for property owners and roads for developers — add-ons that may make the northwest quadrant appealing to businesses considering locating to Salt Lake City.

Councilman Charlie Luke complained that the city has agreed to allow the prison to hook on to the city's sewage treatment plant, which limits the city's future capacity.

"It seems very ironic that we're being left with one thing — the prison ... and its sewage," Luke said. "That's what we're getting out of this deal."

I want to say, 'I told you so, I told you so,' but that doesn't really help us here. –Lisa Adams, Salt Lake City Council

Referring to the environmental challenges of the northwest quadrant wetland area, Adams took a jab at the state for picking such a costly area.

"The state knew going in they were picking the absolute most expensive place to put the prison and what all these problems would be," Adams said. "I'm really frustrated that they made such a bad choice, and I want to say, "I told you so, I told you so," but that doesn't really help us here."

She thanked Pace for "trying to deal with the bully on the hill."

Rogers, however, said he's heard from "key people at the state" that the city has been "dragging its feet" and that's why they've threatened to step in and take more control.

But Pace said city officials have been working at "lightning speed" to plan the northwest quadrant's development.

When asked who specifically from the state has had a gripe with Salt Lake City's work on the northwest quadrant, Pace said "from time to time there are different people," but he declined to name names. "I would be speculating, so I better not go there," he said.

He did, however, refer to the bill filed last session as that perceived "threat."

Related

Controlling costs for new state prison could mean fewer beds Just what the $650 million total price tag for a new state prison west of the Salt Lake City International Airport will buy was up for discussion Friday by the Legislature's Prison Development Commission.

The bill's sponsor, Sen. Jerry Stevenson, did not immediately return a request for comment Tuesday evening, but he said in a phone interview last week that state and city leaders are moving forward in concert.

"At least right now we seem to be on the right page," Stevenson said.

However, he did not necessarily debunk the idea that the bill filed in the final hours of the last legislative session was a way for the state to flex its potential power over the city and its control of the northwest quadrant’s development.

He said the bill was a “warning shot," but since then “we’ve had issues resolved with the city.”

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