County asked for $2.6 million to finish Rock Canyon trailhead; Provo City and volunteers supplied majority of earlier costs

Provo City and local partners told the Utah County Board of Commissioners they are prepared to begin construction on an expanded trailhead at Rock Canyon as soon as county funding is secured. John Bunderson, projects manager for Provo City, said the city has completed construction documents and the site is "shovel ready," and proposed a grand opening on June 3, 2023 to coincide with National Trails Day.

The project team asked the county to provide $2,600,000 from tourism revenue to bring total project funding to about $6.6 million. Bunderson said prior expenditures total about $2.9 million and Provo City and its partners — including an estimated $1.1 million in public-works work for a roundabout — would contribute roughly $4.0 million overall. "The earlier that we can move forward with funding, this is a shovel ready project ready to, hit the ground running," Bunderson said.

Commissioners pressed officials on the county's typical Tourism, Recreation, Culture and Convention (TRCC) matching level of about 35 percent and asked how that standard applies to the Rock Canyon request. Commissioners worked through the math during the meeting: 35 percent of the $6.6 million total would be roughly $2.31 million, which is slightly below the $2.6 million request. Bunderson said scope adjustments and ongoing fundraising could fill any shortfall but that reduced county participation could lengthen the delivery timeline.

Provo City credited the Rock Canyon Preservation Alliance and other funders with raising money used for earlier land protection. Alliance founding member George Hanley said volunteers and many small donors supplied more than half of the purchase funds for conserved parcels. "It was quite a number of people who were, you know, willing to chip in whatever they could to, to help it," Hanley said, adding he would "go to bat" with the city council and citizens to help close remaining gaps.

Project elements described by Bunderson include a 50 percent increase in parking capacity, improved vehicle turning radii, new interpretive loops and signage, an amphitheater and a children's climbing area the design team termed the "kitchenette," and an aquifer storage and recharge feature integrated into the site utilities.

Officials identified several funding and planning partners: the U.S. Forest Service (NEPA partner), Provo City departments, the Rock Canyon Preservation Alliance, and a grant awarded through the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity. At the meeting planners cited a $100,000 outdoor-recreation grant from the governor's office and a $275,000 Alliance contribution toward prior land purchases; the county's prior in-kind or cash share toward land acquisition was discussed as roughly $38,000.

Next steps noted by city staff were: finalize any needed contractor procurement, continue fundraising to fill small remaining gaps, and coordinate the proposed grand opening with National Trails Day. Commissioners did not take a final county funding vote during this meeting; they discussed whether the county's TRCC match policy and other competing projects justify the requested amount or warrant adjusting the county commitment.

The project team said they could begin construction on a reduced scope while pursuing final funding and that timing for full delivery depends on partners' pledges and any county decision.

Authorities, numbers and next steps referenced at the meeting were included in presentation slides and staff comments; commissioners asked staff to return with refined cost details and clear accounting of previous purchases if the county proceeds with funding consideration.