New Sidewalks, New City Impact Area Proposal, New Neighborhood

New Sidewalks!

After a lot of good work by city staff, we've been awarded a $250k Child Pedestrian Safety Grant from the state. In the image above, you can see the plans for the money.

The solid blue and green lines show the existing sidewalks and walking paths. The solid orange lines show the planned sidewalks, and the kind of dotted orange line along 3rd South is a planned walking path.

Also, the black circles are where we currently have those flashing-light crosswalks, and the yellow circles are where we are planning to install new ones.

All of these projects will be done by fall of 2023, but we are hoping to get some of them completed before snow flies this year, particularly the projects around the new intermediate school (jr. high). It's great to see the connectivity these new walkways will bring to the city.

New City Impact Area Proposal

After the recent rejection of Rexburg's impact area expansion proposal by the combined committee of representatives from Sugar City, Rexburg, and Madison County, we have submitted our own impact area proposal to the county.

You can see the full excellent proposal on the city's website (https://sugarcityidaho.gov/). The map image above gives a good overview of the proposal, but for details, please go to the city's website and follow the link on the home page.

We appreciate the wonderful work the residents of Salem have done to make this proposal a coordinated reality. Our two communities have a long history together, and we expect and hope for a long future together as well.

New Neighborhood

The Planning and Zoning Commission recently held a public hearing regarding a proposed new neighborhood in Sugar City. After a generally very favorable public hearing, P&Z voted to recommend the new development to the city council.

Last Thursday, the council voted unanimously to approve the necessary zone change for the neighborhood. The area in question is 36 acres just south of the current Ponderosa neighborhood. The plan is for 85 lots (71 zoned Residential1; 14 zoned Residential 2). The R2 lots will be single family homes, but share a common wall (twin homes). There will also be a park. The neighborhood will be similar in style and feel to Ponderosa. The development agreement and final plat will come before the council in the near future.

There are a lot of things happening in the city. With interest rates rising and the inflation we're experiencing, it's difficult to predict the future regarding city growth. But I suspect our area will continue to see a lot of interest.

If you'd like to volunteer for a committee or board or get directly involved with city functions in any way, please stop by city hall. The more participation by residents, the better.

Summer is going by quickly! I see the wheat fields drying out, and I'm picking raspberries every morning. Let's all enjoy it while we can!

Railroad Ave Project; Fiber Project; Public Notification; Sugar Salem Moody Cemetery; Sugar Days

Railroad Ave Project Back in 2018, the city approved a project to improve the safety and usability of Railroad Ave as it comes into town from the south. The engineering was completed, and the project was ready to go. For various reasons, there was no funding at the time, so the project has been on hold since then. Recently the city was awarded a grant that will cover the entire cost of the project--something that rarely happens. The map above shows the plans. The redesign will allow for a much better and safer flow of traffic in and out of Sugar City, especially for the truck traffic from Sun-Glo and Dickinson Foods. The traffic in the area will be rerouted as necessary during the project, with as little inconvenience as possible. Please be on the look out for notices and signs about the project, as it should be starting soon. Fiber Project The project to install fiber in the older areas of the city as part of the Fybercom & Madison County & Sugar City agreement is underw...

City Impact Area: County Decision

Impact Area A city is required to have an impact area surrounding the city's boundaries within the unincorporated county. The impact area allows the county, city, and property owners to plan for possible or probable land development. Residents of the impact area are not in the city limits, but they can have the benefit of having a proportional number of impact area residents serving on the city's planning and zoning commission, giving them a voice in any future development. Any landowner who wishes to develop their property within the impact area deals with the county as usual; however, as we strive to consolidate development--saving, as we can, more farm and other ag and open land--the land owner is required to follow the basic development ordinances laid out in the city code with the intent that the land being developed in the impact area will eventually become part of the city (annexation). One of the main issues with county land development is water protection and water...

2025 Budget; Utility Fees; Sugar City's First Stoplight?; Construction Updates

2025 Budget Last council meeting, the city council passed the 2025 budget. This is a summary of the budget. If you'd like to see more details, please stop by city hall and ask to see it. We also heard from the city auditors regarding our finances from the past year, and we got a good report. You can also see a copy of that report at city hall if you wish. The city runs on public funding, and I think the current budget reflects this understanding--that we have to be wise in what we budget for and how we plan for current and future city needs. Cities have to be careful not to get into the habit of thinking "We need more money," and, instead, be in the habit of thinking "We can make this work." Utility Fees Here are the new fees for water, sewer, and garbage. "Last Year" = 2024 budget; "This Year" = 2025 budget (beginning Oct 1, 2024) Sugar City's First Stoplight? Councilmember Carter Stanford pointed out that the new stoplight on the nor...

Sugar City, Idaho: The Dayley Report

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