The Salt Lake City Council could render a 4-3 verdict in favor of the Main Street skywalk. But such a tenuous tally would leave the council far from a consensus - despite all the sales pitches and design upgrades - on what developers hired by the LDS Church call the linchpin for their project.

"No one ever wants a 4-3 vote on something this significant for our city," council Chairwoman Jill Remington Love lamented Monday. "They [developers] met the spirit of the criteria in a much better way than I could have hoped for."

Love, a potential swing vote who is leaning toward approval, is hoping for unanimity on the skywalk.

But the three newest council members have balked, citing everything from architectural awkwardness to fears the bridge would strip the street of life.

"It is going to affect the streetscape," Councilman Luke Garrott complained. "It's still a mall, and they're still interested in maximizing the experience for their clientele."

Garrott said he will not vote for the bridge - although he praised the developers' more "permeable" design that he noted has "softened some people."

Had Mayor Ralph Becker opposed the bridge like his predecessor, Rocky Anderson, Garrott argued, it "absolutely" would change the outcome.

But bridge-backing Councilman Carlton Christensen said the community is ready to move forward, even if some council members still have doubts.

"I wish I could say it's a done deal," he said, "but we could easily have a 4-3 vote."

Councilmen Eric Jergensen and Van Turner consistently have supported the bridge, but J.T. Martin and Soren Simonsen have voiced concerns.

An architect and urban planner, Simonsen pointed out skywalks have been scuttled in metropolitan areas around the nation. He, too, worries about maintaining the vibrancy of Main Street.

"I still have a lot of questions," Simonsen said, noting other alternatives still have not been fully pursued.

The developers have modified the design several times to make the bridge mostly transparent and offer easier street access. They have held more than a dozen high-level huddles with city officials over 18 months to allay fears.

Approval is expected to squeak through next week, albeit far from unanimously.

djensen@sltrib.com