Neighborhood Districts

Neighborhood District 5 Meeting Minutes – March 19, 2025 Introduction of Neighborhood District 5 Board Members The meeting began with introductions of the Neighborhood District 5 Board Members. Sariah Hillam, the current board chair, introduced herself and explained the two-year phasing out process for neighborhood representatives. She then called upon each representative to introduce themselves: ● Brawnson Rewis from Dixon neighborhood introduced himself, stating he applied to give people a voice and see what he could do for the neighborhood. ● Kristi Bachler from Temp Neighborhood introduced herself as a new member. ● Daniel Friend from Franklin South introduced himself, mentioning he lives near Provo Towne Centre Mall and has been the vice chair for the past year. ● Laura Leavitt from Joaquin neighborhood introduced herself and expressed willingness to be a vice chair. ● Tom Spencer from Joaquin introduced himself. ● Jason Ream, representing landlords, introduced himself as the owner of The Colony Apartments and other properties in the area. ● Jay Shepherd, representing East Bay as a business representative, introduced himself and mentioned he works at Provo Towne Centre Mall. ● Erik Davis, representing the University neighborhood (BYU), introduced himself as working in the Office of General Counsel at BYU. Sariah Hillam explained the importance of having BYU representation due to the large number of BYU students living in the downtown neighborhoods. Features of the new Provo City website (www.provo.gov) Chris Blinzinger, Provo City Emergency Manager, presented information about the emergency notification system. He explained that the system is county-wide and used for emergency notifications such as evacuations, areas to avoid, and boil water orders. He encouraged attendees to register at alerts.utahcounty.gov and explained the importance of providing an address for targeted notifications. Chris also mentioned a free ham radio class and the growth of Provo's neighborhood ham radio program. Britney Densley and Laramie Gonzales from Provo's 311 Customer Service Department presented the new features of the Provo City website and app. They explained the See Click Fix program, which allows residents to report issues such as parking enforcement concerns, streetlights, potholes, graffiti, and zoning issues. They demonstrated how to use the app and website to report issues and showed the open request map feature. Abinadi Borja, the Code Compliance Officer for District 5, introduced himself and encouraged residents to contact him directly with zoning concerns. Rachel Breen presented information on the District 5 webpage on the Provo City website. She showed how to access meeting schedules, agendas, public hearing information, public works alerts, and contact information for City Council members and other officials. She also demonstrated how to access past meeting videos and minutes. Questionnaire: off-leash dog hours in parks Melia Dayley, a Policy Analyst compiling feedback for the City Council, explained that the Council is seeking neighborhood feedback on the possibility of implementing off-leash hours in parks. She distributed a questionnaire and explained that the feedback would be compiled and discussed at the June 17th City Council Work Meeting. Several attendees expressed concerns about the proposal, citing safety issues for children and people with disabilities. Preliminary discussion on a proposed student apartment project in the Joaquin neighborhood Jeren Stevenson presented a preliminary proposal for a student apartment project in the Joaquin neighborhood. He explained that the project would be located on two properties currently being rented to students. The proposed development would seek a PRO (Project Redevelopment Option) zone change, similar to the nearby Village development. Jeren emphasized that the project aims to provide high-density housing for students close to campus with adequate parking. He proposed one parking spot per bed plus additional guest parking. The development would include a first-floor parking garage. Several attendees expressed concerns about the proposal: ● A resident questioned whether Jeren had read the Joaquin Neighborhood Plan, emphasizing that the area is classified as single-family homes. ● Another attendee raised concerns about increased vehicular traffic and potential pedestrian collisions. ● A nearby resident stated that they would consider the development "catastrophic" and would move if it were approved. Jeren acknowledged the concerns and stated that the proposal was still in the preliminary stages. He expressed willingness to take feedback and work on creating a project that would be pleasing to the city and neighborhood. Update: Provo School District – Gina Hales Gina Hales, a school board member, provided an update on the Provo School District. She focused on two main topics: ● Boundary and Feasibility Study: The district is conducting a study to evaluate potential boundary changes and school consolidations. Gina explained the timeline for the study, including an upcoming community survey to gather input on priorities. ● Dixon Property: Gina addressed rumors about the future of the Dixon property, stating that no final decision has been made. She mentioned two leading ideas for the property: a Career and Technology Education Center or rebuilding Timpanogos Elementary School on the site. Gina encouraged attendees to reach out to school board members with questions or concerns. Election: District 5 Chair, Vice Chairs, Secretary The board held elections for the District 5 Chair and Vice Chairs. The following motions were made and approved: • Daniel Friend was nominated and seconded for Chair. The motion passed unanimously. • Laura Levitt was nominated and seconded for Vice Chair. The motion passed unanimously. • Sariah Hillam was nominated and seconded for Vice Chair. The motion passed unanimously. • No nominations were made for the position of secretary. Results: 100 N 600-900 W and 100 S 1000 W Traffic Studies Rachel Breen presented the results of two traffic studies conducted by Vern Keeslar: 100 North from 500 West to 900 West: ● Seven crashes reported from 2021 to 2023 ● 85th percentile speeds ranged from 32-34 mph in a 25 mph zone ● Traffic volume increased after Dixon Middle School closed, which was unexpected 100 South 1000 West: ● Two crashes reported at the intersection ● Restricted view due to street parking  ● Solutions include adding speed limit signs, no parking signs, replacing yield signs with stop signs, and notifying police for enforcement Request: Traffic study for 300 South 700 West – Robin Woodbury Robin Woodbury, chair of the Franklin Elementary Parent Community Council, requested a traffic study for the intersection of 300 South and 700 West. She explained that this is a school crossing with safety concerns due to it being a one-way stop instead of a four-way stop. The board discussed the request and noted that there is already a public works project slated for this intersection, including plans for bulb-outs and other traffic calming measures. The board voted to approve the traffic study request with the following caveat: The board approved the traffic study as one of their five allotted studies for the year, with the preference that it not count against their limit if possible, but emphasized that they want the study done regardless. Discussion: Matching Grant ideas, updates on current approved grant projects, possible backup projects Daniel Friend provided an update on the previously approved matching grant project for xeriscaping at the roundabout at 920 South and Freedom Boulevard. He explained that the project is currently on hold due to the freezing of federal grant money that was intended to partially fund the project. The board discussed the need for alternative matching grant ideas, given the uncertainty of the approved project. Suggestions included: ● Public seating at intersections ● Pouring cement at bus stops ● Improvements to the area in front of the Asian market on 500 West The board encouraged attendees to consider and propose matching grant ideas for future meetings. Public Comment Several attendees provided public comments: ● A resident expressed concerns about off-leash dogs in parks, the proposed apartment complex in the Joaquin neighborhood, and the limited number of traffic studies allowed for District 5 given its population and traffic issues. ● Elizabeth Molinaro spoke about the unique nature of Memorial Park and the importance of preserving its calm, commemorative purpose. She expressed opposition to off-leash dogs in the park and shared personal experiences of safety concerns with off-leash dogs. ● Rachel Breen shared information about an urban agriculture initiative seeking photos and information about community gardens, chicken coops, and other urban agriculture projects. ● A community service project for March 29th was announced, potentially involving work on community gardens in both District 4 and District 5. ● A suggestion was made to use matching grant funds for informational displays about Provo veterans along the walking path in Memorial Park. ● A request was made for a porta-potty at Memorial Park during the summertime. The meeting was adjourned, with the next meeting scheduled for June 18th.