Let's Talk: South Bench Drive Part 5; Those in favor and those against

This is a 8 part series to help residents understand better the details of South Bench Drive.  Click here to see part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4.

South Bench Drive is somewhat of a controversial subject in South Weber with either side feeling strongly.  I don't intend to represent all views of either sides, but some items for people to think about as the form their own opinion of South Bench Drive.  

Those in favor:

•More ingress/egress in and out of the city: We currently only have 2 points of access located at the west and east end.

•A matter of safety:  The fire is often represented as a point that could've been detrimental if we weren't able to get out of the city via the exits we have.

•Addressing the issue of growth:Whether we like it or not, our city will grow and we need to work towards a plan now for that growth

•Another corridor in South Weber: South Weber Drive can not continue to bear the brunt of the traffic in South Weber.  Those who live on South Weber Drive struggle to safely cross the street or back out of their driveways.

•General plan: If it is not on our general plan, we can't make the developer plan for road accordingly. If property is developed and roads are not determined, lands that could have been reserved for a road will be lost.

•More traffic to South Weber: this added traffic could help boost our commercial properties and help them be successful.

•Convenience and safety: A road to Layton would means South Weber residents can travel to Layton quicker than the current route of using Highway 89.  This would also be good for high school students traveling to Northridge High School.

Those against: 

•Instability and contamination on slopes:  There have been many landslides on the south slopes of South Weber.  There is also possible contamination from Hill Air Force Base.  Many believe this road can not be approved due to safety concerns.

•More traffic to South Weber:  those opposed to this road do no want additional traffic coming to South Weber from other cities and would like to stay the more isolated town it currently is.

•Steep grades: Even at the proposed 8% grade that is stated for this road, many feel this road will still be very steep.   1900 E already has a very steep bluff just off South Weber Drive which offers limited sight.  The proposed section of road off 1900 E is at 14% in some areas. 

•Costs: while it has been stated the developer will pay for this road, possible other costs that will fall on the residents would be studies and maintenance of it.

•Loss of local control: it is possible the costs of South Bench Drive, especially where it climbs the slopes, could be too expensive for a developer and South Weber will need to rely on state and/or federal funds.  If so, it is possible that it could become a state road and would be under the state's jurisdiction.

•More traffic through residential areas:  South Bench Drive itself will travel through a section of homes that will front this road.  Traffic that goes onto 1900 E will also enter a residential neighborhood.    This traffic will also need to use South Weber Drive to access this route to Layton, adding more traffic to that and the possibility of future stoplights.  The city engineer said in the 2018 retreat minutes that if 1900 E isn't connected, then in effect South Bench Drive really wont work correctly either.

•Aesthetics: This road will remove a good portion of the vegetation currently on the slopes and will scar the hillside.   Depending on the engineering necessities, this road could require a great deal of excavating and retention that will be very visible from afar.   

Up Next:  Other suggestions?

#SWmorethan20

Let's talk: South Bench Drive Part 4; When will it happen?

Click to see part one, part two and part three of this series.  South Bench Drive is a **proposed** road, meaning that it hasn't yet been formally adopted. Public comment for South Bench Drive as well as the rest of the general plan is currently underway. It is so important for the public to become educated on what is being proposed and the effects those changes will have on the city.

Should South Bench Drive be adopted into the general plan, the road will be built when property owners choose to sell and develop their land. As the city is in no position to do eminent domain, this process may take decades as many properties are still working farms. We have been told that developing this road will not fall on tax payers, it will fall on the developer. They will be the ones who will pay for and put in the road, though certain maintenance will fall on South Weber resident's property taxes (sweeping, plowing and lighting). However this is an issue we are still looking into and trying to get further information and clarification. Other costs that could potentially fall on South Weber tax payers is the studies done to ensure the safety and stability of this road, particularly as it travels up our southern slopes.

Time will also be needed to do the necessary studies for the safety and engineering of this road.

In light of the information posted on on part 3, it is clear that the city is actively pursuing getting the word out about this road. They have presented at a Wasatch Choice workshop. They have talked to UDOT as well as Layton City about connections. Further information shows that they have even introduced it to Hill Air Force Base as a way to help with theirs and Layton traffic.  This is felt premature by many since public comment and input hadn't even started (and very few knew about it) when these meetings occurred.

Because of the grade of our slopes, the instability and the amount of cost to engineer this road, it is possible a developer will not be able to fund this road, so there is a chance it could fall under state discretion. While that may relieve some pressure off of South Weber tax payers, there is concern about it becoming a state road. The state will then mandate this road and potential changes or direction would fall under state advisory rather than the citizens of South Weber. It could also mean that it could be completed much sooner than expected if the state is able to buy up land for the proposed road rather than the city having to wait until property owners are willing and able to sell their land. (see link below, upon further research it was found that federal and state grants were already pursued in early 2019 to help fund this project). 

Below are screenshots of reports by Mayor Jo promoting South Bench Drive to Layton, UDOT and the Wasatch Choice workshop.

Up Next: Viewpoints: Those in favor, and those against. #swmorethan20

More information was soon discovered about applying for state and federal grants for South Bench Drive.  See post here to learn more.

Recap: City Council 9.17.2019

This recap is certainly not going to do this meeting justice. Listen to the audio on this one. I have so much to say, but a recap being a recap, I'm gonna have to simplify.

We had another packed town hall. We had over 20 amazing comments. I would really, really like to summarize every single one, they were excellent. Please take some time to listen to them. Comments ranged on concerns about 2700 E and safety with cars parked on the street, concerns about South Bench Drive, citizens committee, definition of mixed use, and the general plan (and the delaying of the general plan). Many members volunteered to paint the curb red themselves.

Holly Williams, Vickie Christiansen and Tani Lynch all were honored for their work on country fair days and received a well-earned standing ovation. I love this city!

One comment in particular that I will note was from the developer of the Lofts, Joseph Cook. He asked the city to make sure they were being fair. He said a lot of our concerns are emotional reactions without merit. He felt that before the city should consider adding no parking to the road, we should have a traffic study and civil engineering done first.

There was a great discussion with staff and other council members about putting a no parking zone on 2700 E. City manager David Larson reached out to UDOT to see if there was any restrictions since this is their road. They didn't really have an opinion on it and left it to the city. There was a concern of starting a precedent with this road. City engineer Brandon Jones mentioned that we would need to adjust our code and look into it. After a good discussion of asking questions and answering them, it was decided that myself and another will meeting with the public safety committee soon to discuss what we can do and bring back considerations and suggestions to the council. I will call David tomorrow and get that set up.

The developer was given the chance to speak again. He said that the development will be high-end condos. He said he plans to sell them about $200/sq ft and things comparable in our area will be roughly $150.

They are planned for 2.3 parking stalls per unit but he can talk with his engineer about adding more.

Another great thing that happened was the council directed staff to putting on the agenda next week the discussion of mixed use and postponing the general plan and/or extending public comment until mixed use is defined. Council Member Windsor encouraged us to bring concerns and suggestions to public comment for that meeting. This is big news guys!

The council member comments covered a lot of different issues. (Mayor Jo was excused from tonight's meeting.) They discussed a citizen's committee, South Bench Drive, and had answered a couple of questions. Council member Taylor pointed out that whatever dirt is across the street from city hall has not been approved and Chris Tramea will be looking into and possibly citing them. He wanted it known there is NOTHING APPROVED for that area. Council member Windsor gave us some more information concerning South Bench Drive and 2014. I will look into it and update my post about it. I am pretty sure each council member said aloud they wanted it known that they are hearing/listening to us and appreciate us coming and getting involved.

The meeting was another long one and so much was discussed, so I just don't feel this does it justice. I would once again just really recommend everyone to listen to the audio when it's available.

Thanks to everyone who made it! #SWmorethan20

See audio for the meeting here.

Let's Talk: South Bench Drive, Part 3: How far along in development is it in?

This is part 3 or a 6 part series.  See part 2 and part 1.

Technically, South Bench Drive has not yet been approved so it isn't in development at all.  BUT remember, the 2014 general plan did approve a road going from 475 E to the Posse grounds and towards Old Fort Road.  The Cook property, located near the Posse grounds was approved for a development called Harvest Park in October of 2018.   That road to the posse grounds is currently underway for that development. It is now called South Bench Drive phase 1, though it wasn't called that in 2014.  Still with me?

Also in the 2014 plan, a median was added to 475 to divert traffic to this new road.  The median is currently underway on 475 right now.  Called a 'sweeping T', it will veer to the east as you come off I-84.  While traffic that desires to move south down 475 will be mostly unhindered, traffic traveling north on on 475 towards I-84 will now need to stop and then jog left. If the 2019 general plan is approved as is with South Bench Drive, and the amount of commercial added to the northeast end of 475, it would make sense to divert traffic this way.  However, because this is not yet approved, this median is felt premature by some who recognize this will be a dead end road into a residential area for some time.

It was a surprise to many when the plans showed up on the Wasatch Choice 2050 plan.   I did some research and found that in February 27, 2018 city council meeting, it is mentioned that Mayor Jo and city engineer Brandon Jones will be attending the Wasatch Choice Workshop where a number of different entities, including UDOT, will also be attending. They will plan to present South Bench Drive to begin to drum up supports/grants from the county and state.   Additionally, in the audio of the March 13th, 2018 file (minute 43:00-45:00), the mayor states that she will be meeting with Layton City's mayor to discuss where South Bench Drive will meet in Layton.  She also reports back on her visit to the Wasatch Choice workshop and says that if the council chooses to accept the South Bench Drive amendment to the general plan, Wasatch Choice will update their maps as well.  Manager Mark McRae says that he will be meeting with UDOT in the coming weeks and asks if he should relay this information on, to which Mayor Jo agrees, stating that the more we get it out there, the better.

Screen shot from March 18, 2018 minutes where Jo discusses going to the Wasatch Choice workshop.

Screen shot of Wasatch Choice 2050 plan website

It is also interesting in that same audio file, the mayor mentions that after Wasatch Choice spent some time discussing how the population of Utah will increase substantially by 2050 the mayor asked the representative they were speaking with if South Weber should work towards adding more high density/moderate income housing.  The representative responded saying "he thinks our city oughta just stay the way it is" to which the mayor reports was refreshing to hear. 

Up Next: When will it happen? #swmorethan20

Let's Talk: South Bench Drive Part 2; How did it get on our general plan?

This is part 2 of a 6 part series.  See part 1 here.

If you take a look at our 2014 general plan, you will notice there is a road going east of the posse grounds and then running mostly parallel to I-84 until it meets up with Old Fort Road.  It also had a proposed road to Layton, going nearly straight up the slope.  *On September 16th, 2014 discussion took place on the road to Layton which was similar to what South Bench Drive is today.  There was a concern amongst some in the council about how much added traffic would come to South Weber with this road, particularly for the portion that is south of South Weber Drive.  You can hear the audio of the discussion in this meeting here, starting about 2:14:00 to 2:33:00.   The following week, on September 23rd, a motion was made to make changes to the plan, including the removal of the proposed road to the south of South Weber Drive.  (The packet for said meeting is not available on the minutes, hence the unapproved minutes is all I could find, however the October 14th meeting shows the minutes were approved).

 **In the September 23rd audio file, you will hear an amendment take place to the motion above which adds the road to Layton back onto the general plan so long as it is under an 8% grade and is a local road.**  Our leaders feeling the need to address the influx of traffic coming to South Weber Drive as well as wanting to create more ingress/egress for the city.  Connecting to Old Fort Road would only create a residential road.  It also had feeder streets meeting onto South Weber Drive, but the state is limiting the number of roads that can connect onto South Weber Drive. They wanted to know if there were better options.   In fall of 2017, they commissioned our city engineer, Brandon Jones, to search out other options.  After a couple of requests for proposals, it was decided to have a company called Horrock's look into the concerns.   See the scope of work provided by Horrock's here.  

The first time South Bench Drive as we know it was introduced was in January of 2018 at the retreat that included staff, the planning commission and mayor and city council.  In part two of the audio minutes (part 1 was lost or damaged, but part two starts just as Brandon is about to begin) Brandon will present SBD.  Horrock's was instructed to find the least impactful way (including not needing to take property/homes) to bring another corridor to South Weber that would give the city more ingress/egress, another option for South Weber Drive traffic, as well as a connection to Layton.  Horrock's determined the route to Layton South Bench Drive proposed in 2019 was decisively better at an 8% grade rather than the much steeper option seen in the 2014 plan.  The plan of South Bench Drive also allowed for a thorough fare.  No driveways would butt up against South Bench Drive minus 4 new homes on what is currently the original SBD (behind the elementary).  This would also provide for a developer to build the road as he builds the subdivision adjacent to the South Bench Drive.   You can also listen to Horrock's progress report presentation given to the city council in February of 2017 here.

According to Brandon, because the study by Horrock's was approved, it moved the now proposed South Bench Drive to our general plan.     

Up Next: How far along is development? #swmorethan20

*This asterisked part of the portion of the blog was updated after further information was brought to my attention*

Let's Talk: South Bench Drive; Part 1

South Bench Drive.  You've probably heard neighbors or friends talking about it.  Maybe you know a lot about.  Maybe you only know a little bit.  This week I will be doing a break down of South Bench Drive to bring you the facts.   I hope that you will find this informative and helpful.  I have done a lot of research on this road, and have learned a LOT.  

What is South Bench Drive?  South Bench Drive is a new minor arterial road. A minor arterial "facilities provide service primarily through-traffic movements. All traffic controls and the facility design are intended to provide efficient through movement.  There are limited access points to these facilities" (like driveways and cross roads).  South Bench Drive is being *proposed* in our 2019 General Plan.  South Bench Drive as proposed starts at 475 E and turns east down towards the posse grounds and will eventually connect to Layton.  The attached map below shows it's course with purple dots.  

South Bench Drive is proposed to be at least 78 feet including right of way  (sidewalks, bike lane/emergeny lane, curb and gutter).  There will be 2 or 3 lanes of traffic.  It will have a speed limit of between 40-50 mph.  

South Bench Drive is meant to alleviate traffic on South Weber Drive.  Currently, South Weber Drive received a 'C' grade.  Our current traffic counts are roughly 3,500 cars daily on South Weber Drive, which is considered average.  Once a road reaches over 10,000 cars, it is considered congested.  Our current population is approximately 7,300 with a roughly 13,000 proposed population bringing us to max buildout in roughly 20 years.  Our current city council, mayor, staff and planning commission are looking into working now to develop a plan for the upcoming traffic.  One of the things they would like to see is more ingress/egress to the city, a road to alleviate traffic from South Weber Drive, and a connection to Layton.    

Tune in tomorrow for how South Bench Drive came to be on our 2019 General Plan. 

 #swmorethan20

General Plan - Spread the news

When it comes to the general plan and survey,  one thing I keep hearing is "How do I get my neighbors involved? They didn't know anything about this."  The general plan should reflect the vision of the residents, but if we don't comment, someone else will have to do it for us!  It is SO important to get involved.  So I wrote up a quick flyer you can print off.  If 100 people passed it out to 10 the houses, more than 1,000 people would be in the know!  Please let me know if you have any questions!  #SWmorethan20

Recap: Planning Commission

9/12/2019 Planning Commission Quick Recap:

•The order of the public comments have been rearranged to match that of the city council and will be held first of the meeting instead of the last. We had about a dozen comments including topics like the general plan and the survey, concerns about sensitive lands and farms, lower densities/open space, favoring the C/O to be removed and rights of property owners and concerns about the cobblestone short term rental. Julie Losee did a great job of presenting some more information about the lofts and how the north side was zoned residential, and therefore can not contain any of the lofts HDH. Mike Skousen suggested members signing an ethics agreement similar to other cities to prevent improper influence of conflicts of interests among the commission.

•There was a discussion on another short term rental and ordinances put into place for that specific place.

•Commercial overall removal was discussed and talked about the administrative process. They also talked about defining mixed use. A discussion before city council will take place on 09/26. Tim Grubb mentioned having a meeting to talk about and define mixed use. Staff is currently working on their first draft of defining it. The discussion on 9/26 will probably make changes and have further conversations about it. The next time the commission is slated to meet and discuss it would be October 10th, which they would also be discussing all the public comments of the general plan. However it was also realized that public comment won't have ended yet. There was a discussion of moving that meeting until after public comment was finished. Rob Osborne said he felt that the adoption of the GP should be postponed until mixed use is defined.

•Many (all?) of the commissioners thanked the community for getting involved and really encouraged feedback on the general plan. It was stated several times that the GP should reflect the view of citizens - without public comment they just have to do their best. Taylor Walton talked about how we really need to find another way to do an East West corridor and encouraged everyone to come up with some ideas of how to accomplish that. Taylor also wanted to work on getting very specific ordinance zoning which would allow for the PC to have more to hold developers too. (Hopefully Im getting my words and understanding correctly!). Wes Johnson had the idea of creating an ordinance that if a zone change is done the developer does not present plans within a time frame, the property returns to its previous zone it was. Both are great ideas! Debbi Pitts spent some time working with the concerns of the Cobblestone short term rental of parking up and down the street and how to write and create ordinances to allow to enforce violations. I appreciated her taking the time to discuss it.

•This is just a recap! Please listen to the audio or read the minutes to get more info. :-)

•In other news, Mayor Jo was at the meeting and I talked with her about how the public potentially may not have the opportunity to comment on the GP since public comment will end before mixed use is probably defined. I asked her if she would be willing to postpone the adoption of the plan or extend public comment, both of which she was open too. I also talked with her about some of the concerns and issues people are having with the online survey. She said she will talk to David Larsen about them, but if you have any problems, you can call him too!

General Plan Survey - How many can we do??

Guys!! I gave us a goal of reaching 100 surveys for the general plan 4 days ago.  We were at 35 then.  As of Tuesday we are at 75!! How awesome is that?? Keep going! #swmorethan20

City Hall 101!

Want to get more involved in city government but not sure we’re to start? Not sure on how to find answers to your questions? Join me a live video today at 3:00 to help you understand how to find minutes, read agendas, and who does what at city hall.  It’s city hall 101.  #SWmorethan20

No Parking...it's on the Agenda!

I have heard from our city manager that the agenda I submitted to have a discussion to add no parking on 2700 E (in front of the lofts) should be able to go forward for the September 17th city council meeting! Please come and let your voice be heard! #swmorethan20

General Plan Public Comment -- Need Help?

A resident contacted me tonight with a fantastic idea.  He got his neighborhood to gather with their computers and laptops to his home to go over the general plan survey.  He asked me come and help walk them through it and answer questions and I was happy to oblige!  I LOVE seeing the action among neighborhoods!  Want to do the same in yours?? Contact me and let’s do it! #swmorethan20

General Plan Survey -- how many can we do??

Guess what guys!  As of yesterday, 35 surveys about the general plan were completed.  And guess what - it’s the most they have ever had in nearly 15 years.  Now we may be a small town, but we aren’t that small!!  Let’s double it and the some.  Can we make it too 100 by next Friday?? 

Find the survey and maps on the city’s website here.  http://southwebercity.com/2019/08/30/general-plan-update/

Click on my profile link to see a live video of me walking you through it! #letsdothis #swmorethan20

Meet the Candidate Night!

I am so excited for this opportunity! I would like to thank the League of Women Voters for putting this on.  I hope that you will come out and introduce yourself!

#swmorethan20

General Plan: what I like and what I don't!

What do I like abut the new general plan?  The trails! I am excited to see so many of them be develop.  My entire family loves our South Weber trails.  I like the public survey and feel that it is a good way to organize a lot of information that the citizens want to get back to the public officials. 

What don't I like about the new general plan?  Well...that's a bit of a longer message.  

The beginning message the general plan is one that I can align with fully.  Lines 112-121 state that we should be *vigorously* pursue the retention of a small town charm that is our hallmark.  Other paragraphs state protecting our slopes and sensitive areas.  It speaks of leaving ample open space and keeping a small town feel.   But then the rest of the draft....well-it seems to have a different idea.  

Lines 492 speaks about the importance of keeping open space.  It specifically mentions the wooded areas along I-84 and steep hill sides on the above and below the canal among others.  But when you look at the projected land use map, the amount of open space is minimal.  The slopes on the south side have been zoned for commercial recreation or business commerce.  We have a major road that the majority doesn't seem to want going right up those steep, sensitive slopes they just mentioned must be protected.  And while they tell us over and over it will be done safely and numerous studies will be done and the developer will pay for the road, I wonder who will pay for the numerous studies? How much will it cost taxpayers to make sure it will be done safely?  And more importantly, why would we even go this far if the residents don't want it??

Line 592 says that single family dwellings on moderate lot sizes is desirable to maintain.  Line 602 states that high density should be spread out as much as practical.  And yet there are 18 commercial mixed use zones in our plan.  18!! That isn't even including the 5 High Density zones.  Mixed use will always be high density.  One of those zones alone is 250 acres.  If all 18 zones are added to our plan, certainly single family dwellings will not be the majority.  Line 740 states that in order to meet the demands of the moderate income mandates, as well as preserving open space and agricultural character multi family units will continue to be the primary type of housing for that range. So which is it? line 592, 602 or 740?  Interesting agriculture is brought up again, because the land map use has VERY little agriculture.  The next lowest zone appears to be open space...and this is when I go back, read lines 112-122 again and start to scratch my head.  It is also bemusing to me that commercial mixed use is directly across from the posse grounds.  Nothing says small town charm like some 100 acres of HDH next to our little buckaroo rodeo. 

Furthermore, please know that what is proposed for to meet moderate income mandates has been highly exaggerated.  There are many different options to meet these mandates and stay completely in line with the requirements of the state.  And some of those options have very low impact; specifically options B, E and F.  

So lets move back to possibly the most important lines which are lines 127-138: citizen involvement.  "Participation and input from residents are imperative to acheive a plan that is reflective of the overall attitudes and desire of the residents."  God bless America! WE HAVE A VOICE.  Make it heard.  Study the map, do the survey, attend the open houses and SHARE it with your neighbors.  When it comes to this plan, let's learn from our mistakes and not be silent any longer.  I want the public officials to have no doubt whatsoever what the residents of South Weber City desire for their city.  #swmorethan20

General Plan Survey Walk Through Video-I'm here to help!

General plan survey!! Ready to do it?? I’m here to walk you through each and every step! Should we change the #swmorethan20 to #morethan750?? Game on!!

Median on 475 East

Did you know that a median is going in on 475 E?  This will be to divert traffic to the proposed road on the general plan called South Bench Drive.  I was able to call Brandon Jones, our city engineer, to get some clarifications and some misunderstandings about this road. 

•Residents leaving 6650 will in fact be able to turn left.  The will go slightly to the right, stop, and then go left.  

•They have been in contact with the people who own homes directly in front of the median and have come to an agreement with them on how to work with them (see the added driveway/road thingy (forgive my vocabulary - my brain is tired). 

•While a roundabout was considered, it requires a great deal of land.  After numerous talks, the council felt this rendition worked best.  It is hoped that it should be finished by end of October - particularly the section on 475.  #morethan20

Park-n-Protest = SUCCESS!!

We did it!!! You guys!! Thank you thank you for coming up! We had an AMAZING turnout!  I was so happy to meet so many residents tonight and get to have face to face dialogue.  Tonight we proved that we are way more than 20.  And more important than that - we are UNITED! Together we are going to do great things!! More news stories to come! 

Watch the news clip here!

Live video recap here!

General Plan Dates

Here is the current planner schedule for the general plan.  #swmorethan20

Stop 74 Park-n-Protest

Tomorrow!!  We will have the maps for the new general plan up and ready to answer questions.  The mayor and city council has been invited.  Share with your friends and neighbors.  Please swing by! #swmorethan20

General Plan is Up For Public Comment!

The new proposed map is up!  This is a projection of what South Weber could someday be.  Some things to be aware of: 

•the two circles in the middle of town are proposed gas stations to help the traffic that will come with the finish of south bench road

•High Density Housing is currently zoned for the area near Ray’s.  There was talk that this would be the best solution since Moderate Housing would require driveways backing onto South Weber Drive, but there is a road there already (7400 S) that could easily accommodate moderate residential.

•the pits were changed from recreational to commercial highway with a mixed use overlay.

•and finally, the most concerning: anything with yellow plus signs is a mixed use overlay that has NOT YET been defined.  This plan is scheduled to be approved before mixed use is defined.  Will mixed use allow 25 units per acre or 15? No one knows.  Will it be 4 story apartments or townhomes? Again, not defined.  I think that the adoption of this plan should be postponed until mixed use has been defined and the public is able to give comments and feedback before this plan is adopted. 

Please understand that this is the “vision” of South Weber.  While some of these things may not happen any time soon, this is what developers will use as their guide.  If there is property that is already zoned to their liking, that is a huge incentive for them.  Take that for good or for bad, but take it for something.  #swmorethan20

Click here to review the general plan and make you public comment!