LAYTON -- The Bonneville Shoreline Trail is now a little more contiguous thanks to an agreement between Davis County and a Layton land owner.
Davis County recently gained an easement for a section of the trail in Layton, just north of Adams Canyon, that rests on the property of Layton resident Neil Wall.
"This piece of the trail crossed over onto private property," said Davis County Director of Planning Barry Burton. "(Wall) had been kind enough to allow people to use it most of the time, but he did reserve his right to close it on occasion."
The stretch of trail is about 500 feet long, at about 3300 E. 1300 North in Layton.
Closing that portion of the trail, although rare, impeded outdoor enthusiasts who used it, the county said.
In order to gain the 500-foot easement, Davis County and Wall struck an agreement that included the county paying for and installing a 500-foot-long fence on the west side of the trail that sits on Wall's property.
The county agreed to pay for the cost of a chain-link fence, totalling $7,069.
Wall wanted a higher-quality fence, so the county put up a black vinyl coated fence, with Wall paying the additional costs that were included in the upgrade.
Burton said the fence was put up about two weeks ago.
On Wall's property is a home, a barn and a corral.
"He wanted to be able to keep his property private, and we wanted the trail open," Burton said of the deal. "So it's really a win-win situation."
Burton said the trail is one of the most heavily used in Davis County.
It begins near the Salt Lake/Davis County border and ends near Layton's northern border, before starting again in Weber County.
"This trail is used by a lot of people in the region, so it's good news that it's now open for everyone to use, 365 days a year," Burton said. "We feel like it's a good deal for the county, the residents and people who use the trail."
The Bonneville Shoreline Trail will eventually stretch from the Idaho border north of Logan all the way to south to Nephi.
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