As Mayor of Provo City and President of the Provo City School District Board of Education, we are pleased to announce the execution of an agreement regarding Timp-Kiwanis Bounous Park, the park directly south of Timpview High School’s campus.
By way of background, when Provo City acquired the park decades ago, the land became subject to certain federal regulations. In recent years, the city discovered it was out of compliance with those regulations. In addition, the school district had expressed strong interest in acquiring additional land adjacent to Timpview High School. The main viable solution to meet both needs was for the city to sell the park to the district and acquire new land where the federal regulations could be met.
For neighbors, having the school district own the property seemed far better than having it sold to a commercial or residential developer. And thankfully, the school district agreed to pay top dollar for the park, or in technical terms, a price based on the “highest or best use,” which means the city is going to be able to acquire land for a much larger park, using the proceeds.
As an additional gesture of goodwill toward the Edgemont neighborhood, the school district has decided to issue the attached statement of intent regarding the use of the property. Among highlights from the statement, the school district indicates its firm plan to build no major structures on the purchased property and to allow public access to the property. The statement further clarifies the intent to keep the name of the park and ensure the park has restrooms, a pavilion, and certain other key features presently found there.
For Provo City, this transfer helps resolve the compliance issue with federal regulations and will allow the city to close on a remarkable opportunity to purchase a 98-acre parcel of property for a new park and sports complex, at a favorable price. We believe that for decades to come, Provo residents will be enjoying the fruits of today’s agreement, whether at Timp-Kiwanis Bounous Park or at the new park. And for the school district, they now have the opportunity to enhance the sports and physical education offerings for students at Timpview High on school grounds, including the girls’ softball team.
Candidly, this process has not been easy. There were federal approvals required, and not every citizen wanted the plan to go forward. Years of hard work, public hearings, and smaller-group discussions have been entailed. Through it all, we have had an overarching desire to seek the good of all interested parties. Our thanks go to everyone who has engaged on this. Your voices were heard, and we have tried to address your concerns to the best of our abilities. We are deeply grateful that the city council and school board made this transfer possible with their votes, encouragement, and support.
In the end, we believe that both the process and the results we are delivering affirm the goodwill and partnership that can be had among Provo’s citizens, its school district, and its city leadership. After all, Provo’s school district and city organization serve the same constituents, and when the district and city work collaboratively to provide services and solve problems, we end up with solutions that both save money and enhance the quality of life for our residents – including students and parents.
Once again, we commend all who have engaged with us. And we are enormously pleased to announce this win for so many in Provo.
Michelle Kaufusi
Provo City Mayor
James Pettersson
Provo City School District Board President
