OGDEN, Utah — The Ogden City Council voted Tuesday night to explore buying the property where the old Taylor Canyon Elementary School used to be, after neighbors rallied to save the green space.
"We have become accustomed to a green space here, and then the threat of it being taken away — that’s really where people decided that’s not OK,” said Chelsea Alexander.
Alexander has kids who like going to the park and said many people use it to recreate throughout the year.
The space is not a designated park, but an area that people have been using for years to play and gather. Stacia Ryder brought her dogs to the space and brings her baby to play there as well.
"We just think it’s so much more than an open space; it is a place for community gathering,” said Ryder. “We are really motivated to continue to enhance the space to serve that purpose."
Earlier this year, the Ogden School District listed the property as surplus, meaning it can be sold, so neighbors rallied to try to make sure the space is utilized in the most optimal way. Ryder and others worked to raise awareness about the sale. They made signs around town, attended council meetings, and hosted events at the space to highlight what it means to the community.
“If it’s not going to be a school, we don’t want it to be housing," Alexander said. "We want to have a green space. The playground is still in existence from when the school was here."
Ryder wanted to stress that affordable housing is important, too, and understands the need for it, especially in communities like Ogden. But she hopes the city can find properties that work better for those needs and can use this space to activate the neighborhood.
Neighbors showed up to the meeting on Tuesday, where the city council formally voted to explore the purchase after the mayor announced the city's intent to buy it.
"I see an opportunity for us to have consolidated larger open space that can become a bigger neighborhood gathering place for our bigger neighborhood, and for more people to come together and connect with one another,” said Ogden City Mayor Ben Nadolski.
After lots of discussion and voting to remove the requirement to keep the property as open space even after buying it so they can keep their options open and decide what’s next, the resolution passed.
"It was not as cut and dry as we hoped, but we're going to be hopeful and continue to be engaged as a community," Alexander said after the meeting.
Even though the city has expressed intent to buy the property, it doesn’t have to go through with the purchase. Now, the negotiations formally begin with the school district, and the city can weigh various options to see what works best.
