But they aren't so thrilled about getting the bill to maintain those trails, an unexpected expense that they say could strain the budgets of five cities.
"We never addressed these issues or thought about it," said Blaine Lutz, Centerville's assistant city manager. "We always thought, 'The state built it; the state'll maintain it.'"
That was until a few months ago, when the city spoke with Utah Department of Transportation staff members, and learned UDOT expected Centerville, along with Farmington, West Bountiful, Woods Cross and North Salt Lake, to take over trail upkeep a year after Legacy opens and the contract with the landscaper expires.
"That came as quite a shock to us, because that position - to ask the cities to maintain the trails - was totally opposite of what was distinctly said in the beginning phases of the Legacy Parkway approval," Farmington City Manager Max Forbush said. "We were told that UDOT would be maintaining or hiring someone to maintain it. And now they want us to do it."
But city maintenance of the trails had been the plan all along, insists UDOT spokesman Nile Easton. He adds that there is no record showing UDOT officials said continual trail upkeep would be their agency's responsibility, "but if that was said, that was wrong."
Easton said UDOT's projects often include building sidewalks or trails, like with the Jordan River Parkway, as community assets. Once they are in place, UDOT takes care of the roads, he said, but the extra amenities are the municipalities' responsibility.
"It's beautiful, it's an important part [of the highway] and we're happy to have it," said Gary Uresk, Woods Cross' city administrator, "We're just not prepared right now to financially take over the maintenance."
While trail upkeep wouldn't fall to the cities until autumn 2009, the relatively small south Davis municipalities already are sweating the cost. Cash-crimped West Bountiful, for instance, is in the midst of a budget review and is considering increasing water fees.
"In a way, this is one of those mandated, unfunded projects that will make it really difficult for us," City Administrator Wendell Wild said.
He and his south Davis counterparts recently toured the Legacy trails. The cities would be responsible for 2-mile to 3--mile stretches on one side of the highway. North Salt Lake has an added expense: trails on both sides.
City managers are studying the costs of municipalities individually taking over trail maintenance - some estimate the bill at between $50,000 to $80,000 each year for each city - or teaming up to hire one contractor.
Some cities are even weighing whether to accept the task at all. Apart from the maintenance fees, Centerville is concerned about legal liabilities if anyone were to get hurt on the trails.
City Manager Collin Wood in North Salt Lake is preparing a report for the City Council on what the potential price tag would be, and he said some members might not want to take on ownership for those trails.
"It's frustrating ... we're stuck with the funding of it perpetually," Wood said. "We're not happy at all."
