Megan Carollo’s roots run deep in Logan — her family has owned a home along the city’s historic Canyon Road for five generations.
Now, she says the city wants a slice of her front yard.
After tearing out century-old trees to install a waterline under the road, Logan is looking to redesign the area to better connect its trail network and make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists.
To do so, the city plans to install an 8-foot path for walkers, joggers, and bikers, separated from the road by a park strip.
Although this plan would encroach on property that homeowners along the street believed was theirs, the city says Canyon Road has a 99-foot right of way that allows them to tear up grass and build a new path.
The project, according to city spokesperson George Woodward, will only use 66 feet of that right of way.
Carollo, however, wants to see proof, and she’s not alone.
She took her worries to an Aug. 18 City Council meeting, where she delivered a petition signed by about 50 others asking for the city to show evidence of its right of way.
“If the city holds the reported right of way sufficient for the design, produce it,” she said. “If that doesn’t exist, that’s worth knowing now, not later.”
Woodward said the city is in the process of putting together a report to show it has the authority to move forward. He expects it to be finished within two weeks.
Who’s in charge?
Beyond the right of way dispute, residents whose homes would be affected by the project say they have found it frustrating to get clear answers as they try to work with the city.
Leila Shultz told The Tribune and Utah Public Radio the project would take out her berm and kill her decades-old Norway spruce trees. She said the buck’s been shifting hands as people have tried to figure out who’s in charge of the project.
“Last year, when we met with city council, we were told, ‘Well, city council really has no power, it’s the mayor’s decision,’” she said. “This year, with Mark Anderson in power, he says he has no power as the mayor, it’s up to the city council.”
Woodward explained that Logan operates under a “Strong Mayor” form of government, meaning the mayor executes budgets and oversees projects and project details.
But earlier this week, Anderson further backed away from the project when he recused himself from the redesign.
“I own property along the Canyon Road corridor,” he said in a statement. “Because decisions concerning the existing right of way, project design, property acquisition, and potential condemnation may directly or indirectly affect my property interests, I believe it is appropriate to establish a clear separation between my responsibilities as Mayor and those particular decisions.”
He gave authority over the project to Logan City Finance Director Richard Anderson. But that authority doesn’t allow him to change the plans, according to Woodward, as the city believes “it would be inappropriate for an appointed official to amend or overturn decisions already made by a duly elected official.”
The current Canyon Road redesign was approved under former Logan Mayor Holly Daines, who brought the 66-foot plan to the council on Nov. 18, 2025. Daines received the council’s approval, though members did not take a formal vote.
Asked who could change or alter the project now, Woodward said “the city has no intent to alter it.”
Construction has already started along Canyon Road. Logan did not immediately provide a timeline for when the pedestrian path would be built.
