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Special Council Meeting: Old Farm Estates

 

Special Council Meeting

Last night (6/30/2021), the city council held a special meeting with two major items on the agenda: taking the first steps toward a city-wide internet fiber plan, and a discussion about a proposed new master plan & development agreement for Old Farm Estates (OFE).

Fiber Optic Backbone

The federal government is handing out money like candy, and Idaho cities are receiving some of it that is earmarked for certain types of improvements. The city has decided to use some of that money for a preliminary study and plan regarding the possibility of getting fiber installed throughout the town. This is not a quick undertaking. More to come.

Old Farm Estates

Over the past several months, representatives of the city and the developers of OFE have met for a series of intense discussions regarding future development in OFE.

The discussions have been serious and sincere. Last night, the city council discussed and asked questions regarding the proposed new plan and agreement. The review of the proposal by city staff (attorney, engineer, public works, etc.) is not complete, but will be soon.

One request made by the city was to have a completed master plan for the development, so we could see the entire project, more or less, on an easy-to-read map, along with tables showing zoning, densities, open space, parks, walking paths, playgrounds, etc. The graphic above is a copy of the proposed master plan map. Copies were available last night and are available at City Hall still, I think.

To be clear, there is a current development agreement in place for OFE, which includes the settlement agreement from a couple of years ago--if you remember that controversial time period. What we are discussing here is the city and the developer's good-faith effort to improve the development and to remove ambiguity regarding future development by laying out as much of it as we can at one time, as opposed to a more piecemeal approach. We think this is beneficial to everyone, including, and especially, the residents of Sugar City.

This proposed master plan, along with a draft of a new development agreement, were discussed and debated last night. Keep your eyes and ears open for upcoming chances for additional public input regarding this proposal.

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