Ogden's Taylor Canyon park deal: changing acreage figures, a $700,000 reserve vote and a recusal

The Ogden School District declared the former Taylor Canyon Elementary property surplus on Aug. 21, 2025, and notified the city on Sept. 2, 2025, that it covered about 4.23 acres, according to a July 2026 council staff memo. In December 2025 the council adopted a resolution preserving the city's right to buy, by a 6-0 vote with one abstention. ^[3]

How the terms changed

A May 27, 2026 city news release said Ogden was under contract to buy about 2.6 acres of the site for $948,546, subject to an engineer's survey and a price adjustment "based on verified acreage and an agreed-upon price per square foot." The district would keep about 1.63 acres. ^[1]

At a July 14 work session, Neighborhood Development Director Jeremy Smith said a recent survey found the purchasable parcel to be 1.19 acres, at an agreed price of $8.42 per square foot, "for a total of approximately $700,000," according to the approved minutes. ^[2]

At the Aug. 4 council meeting, Accounting and Budget Director Justin Sorensen described the purchase as about 1.91 acres for about $700,000, according to the approved minutes. ^[4]

At $8.42 a square foot, 1.19 acres would cost about $436,000 and 1.91 acres about $700,500, by The Ledger's calculation. The records reviewed do not include the final survey or legal description. ^[2][4]

The reserve vote

Sorensen said the council and administration set aside $3 million in a Future Park Property Reserve in fiscal 2023. At the July 14 work session he listed four property purchases from it, two on Grant Avenue for $955,000 and $300,000, one on 4th Street for $400,000 and one on Lincoln for $600,000, plus about $10,000 in earnest money and survey costs for Taylor Canyon. ^[2]

On Aug. 4 he put the remaining balance at about $692,000. Ordinance 2026-15 moved $700,000 from the council's "Allocated for Future Projects" account to the reserve, a change with no net effect on the budget. He said the money came from Business Depot Ogden lease revenue and unused prior-year general fund balance. ^[4]

Sorensen said the transfer would let the administration make timely park purchases without asking for council approval of each one. Council member Lundell moved to cut the transfer to $10,000, enough to complete the Taylor Canyon purchase. That amendment failed 2-4, with Lundell and Washington voting yes. ^[4]

The ordinance then passed 4-2. Council members Lopez and Richey, Vice Chair Graf and Chair Hyer voted yes; Lundell and Washington voted no. Both said afterward that they supported the Taylor Canyon purchase but wanted the council to decide separately on refilling the reserve or approving future purchases. ^[4]

The recusal

Council member Jeremy Peterson, who joined the council after a midterm vacancy, disclosed a conflict of interest and left the chambers for the item. ^[2][4] Later in the meeting, he said his recusal "stemmed from his specific prior involvement facilitating that transaction on behalf of the school district" and that he did not expect frequent recusals. ^[4]