Salt Lake City will put up the same amount to protect the bench as open space.

"This is a spectacular piece of property," said Councilwoman Jenny Wilson, who called the preservation plan "very exciting." She notes the county and capital are aiming for a June 30 closing date.

The move is part of a settlement agreement still being finalized between North Salt Lake and Salt Lake City that would halt both a court battle and new legislation designed to rewrite annexation rules.

Under the agreement, the county and capital would buy the bulk of the 80-acre bench land to designate as open space, while North Salt Lake would keep 13 acres to develop - as long as plans don't interrupt the alignment along the prehistoric Lake Bonneville shoreline.

It is unclear whether the Davis County city, which had a closed meeting scheduled Tuesday evening, still intends to build houses on its part of the parcel.

The County Council's lone "no" vote came from Marv Hendrickson, who insisted it is not appropriate to tap the county's open-space coffers for "our neighbors to the north."

- Derek P. Jensen