On Tuesday night, Salt Lake City zoned 80 acres on the hillside near Ensign Peak as natural open space to stop North Salt Lake from building a cemetery and homes there. Salt Lake City has a say because the land sits inside its city limits.

"This is a geo-antiquity," said Salt Lake City Councilman Dale Lambert. "It's land that's extremely important."

But the rezone doesn't end the debate. North Salt Lake has sued to put the land in its boundaries so it can develop it as it wishes. Salt Lake City filed a separate suit to condemn some of the property to keep it as open space. There will be court hearings on those two cases next month.

Tuesday's rezoning is "meaningless" if North Salt Lake wins, said its attorney Brent Hatch.

Bill Wright, who has worked as a consultant for North Salt Lake on the 80 acres, told the Salt Lake City Council the rezone violates the U.S. Constitution because the city is taking North Salt Lake's land without compensation. He noted the capital has protected other pieces of open space by buying them.

Salt Lake City Councilman Carlton Christensen said the rezone was appropriate. "It clearly is a very unique piece of ground."

Salt Lake City also rezoned some of its property near the North Salt Lake land as natural open space to prevent it from becoming part of a nearby gravel pit operation.

hmay@sltrib.com