Salt Lake City Council members, awaiting a court ruling on the subject, will huddle with their county counterparts today to shore up support to protect 80 acres of North Salt Lake-owned bench.

Since last summer, the land has been in a philosophical - and now legal - tug of war.

North Salt Lake, which filed a disconnection petition last June in 2nd District Court, wants to develop part of the parcel - all of which is inside the Salt Lake City limits.

Salt Lake City and County leaders have argued for preservation and each has pledged $300,000 to the cause. Now, capital officials are hoping the county will serve as a backstop in case their northern neighbor wins in court.

"We still assume we will prevail," says Salt Lake City Councilman Dave Buhler, who notes the city tried unsuccessfully to move the case to a Salt Lake County court. "But we'd like to make sure we have [the county's] support."

If Salt Lake City loses, Buhler notes the land could fall into the county's zoning jurisdiction as an unincorporated parcel.

Not to worry, notes County Councilman Joe Hatch, who supports the capital's 1995 choice to zone the hillside as open space.

"Why [do] they want to take very valuable, very protected, very unique open-space property simply to enrich themselves?" he wonders of North Salt Lake. "It's so bad, it's incredible."

North Salt Lake officials argue the land could be worth as much as $16 million and want to rezone part of it for houses and a cemetery.

But Salt Lake City and County leaders scoff at the estimate.

"We need to reaffirm our commitment with Salt Lake County that these 80 acres are valuable," says Salt Lake City Councilwoman Jill Remington Love

djensen@sltrib.com