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
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!