Neighborhood Districts

Neighborhood District 1 Meeting Minutes – April 16, 2025 Neighborhood District 1 Chair Matt Wheelwright conducted the meeting. 60 people attended (52 in person, 8 on Zoom) Proposed Water Rates – Public Works Melia Dayley, a policy analyst from the Council Office, introduced the water rates topic. She explained that the Council had been discussing increasing water rates for over a year and would be voting on a proposition at next week's meeting (April 22, 2025). The proposal includes moving to a 3- tier system with a 5% rate increase starting in September. Gordon Haight, Director of Public Works, presented on water infrastructure needs. He showed a map of pipe conditions in District 1, explaining that many pipes were nearing the end of their 60- to 80-year lifespan. Issues with aging pipes included water infiltration into sewer lines and leaks damaging roads. Gordon emphasized the critical nature of replacing a 100-year-old main line bringing spring water from the canyon. He noted the city has an 80-year replacement plan but must prioritize the most critical areas first. Gordon also discussed the city's water supply, noting that Provo's springs and wells had withstood a 20-year drought. He explained a new project to pump excess winter water into the canyons to recharge the aquifer faster. Residents asked questions about pipe replacement timelines, water quality, and rate increase details. Link to Proposed Water Bill Calculator: Public Works Utility Rates | Provo, UT Wildland Urban Interface Program – Fire Department Captain Jeanie Atherton from the Fire Marshall's office presented on the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) mitigation program. She defined the WUI as undeveloped property next to developed land and explained the importance of creating defensible space around homes. The Fire Department offers a curbside chipping program for residents. Captain Atherton encouraged residents to request free home assessments and utilize the chipping program if eligible. She provided her contact information and a QR code for more details. Residents asked questions about eligibility and past programs. People can contact Captain Atherton if they want her to present about the Wildland Urban Interface Program in their neighborhoods. Captain Jeanie Atherton: (801) 852-6342 or jatherton@provo.gov Sign up for a free home assessment: Wildland Urban Interface Questionnaire Emergency Preparedness – Emergency Management Chris Blinzinger, the Emergency Manager, discussed the emergency notification system registration. He encouraged residents to sign up for Everbridge alerts at the provided website. Chris also mentioned the Provo Auxiliary Communications Team of HAM radio operators and invited participation in the upcoming Great Shakeout earthquake drill. More information: Notification System | Provo, UT Sign up: https://alerts.utahcounty.gov or Shared Citizen Alert System - Sign In Licensed HAM Radio operators can join PACT (Provo Auxiliary Communications Team): Provo Auxiliary Communications Team (PACT); Neighborhood HAM Radio Program | Provo, UT Off-Leash Dog Park Questionnaire – Council Office Melia Dayley presented a questionnaire about off-leash dog hours in existing city parks. She clarified this was separate from the Parks and Recreation Department's efforts regarding dedicated dog parks. Melia distributed paper copies and provided a QR code for online responses. Link to questionnaire: https://tinyurl.com/provodog or Qualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience Management PLRZ20250097 - Proposed Zone change from R1.8 to R1.6 to subdivide 3.8 acres into 6,000 sq ft lots at 2000 N Canyon Road in the Pleasant View Neighborhood City Planner Nancy Robison presented the proposed zone change from R1.8 to R1.6 for a 3.8-acre property at 2000 N Canyon Road. The change would allow for 6,000 sq ft lots instead of 8,000 sq ft lots. Residents expressed concerns about hillside stability and retaining walls. Nancy clarified that detailed engineering studies would be required before any development could proceed. Residents were frustrated that they could only see a flat plat map, not a drawing of the elevations before and after taking away the hillside and how that affects neighboring properties. The item will go to the Planning Commission on April 23rd and City Council on May 20th. Residents were encouraged to attend those meetings or email comments to the provided addresses. Link to Staff Report (Item #1): _04232025-251 PLRZ20250082 & PLOTA20250083 - Proposed Zone change from PO to LDR and SSC to develop a 2.35-acre mixed-use development with six townhomes, a retail center, and an indoor self- storage facility at 3433 N 100 E in the Riverside Neighborhood City Planner Mary Barnes presented the proposed zone change and ordinance text amendment for a 2.35-acre mixed-use development at 3433 N 100 E. The project would include retail units, an indoor storage facility, and six townhomes. The developer, Douglas Nielsen, was present to answer questions. Residents asked about traffic impacts, design requirements, and potential changes to the concept plan. Residents who live near the property were concerned about additional traffic and wanted right- turns-only out of the property. Board members were concerned about the property being sold and the new owner would not follow the design standards. Mary and Douglas clarified that detailed traffic studies would be conducted if the rezone was approved. They emphasized that the current applications going before the City Council were only on the zone change and text amendment, not the final project design. The District 1 Board conducted an opinion poll of District 1 residents present: • In favor of the zone change from PO to LDR and SSC: 25 • Against the zone change from PO to LDR and SSC: 1 • In favor of the text amendment allowing storage units, drive-throughs, and 34% lot coverage in the SSC zone: 19 • Against the text amendment allowing storage units, drive-throughs, and 34% lot coverage in the SSC zone: 0 Link to Staff Reports (Items #5,6,7): _03262025-231 2200 North Update – Pleasant View Neighborhood Richard Jensen provided an update on safety concerns along 2200 North. He thanked the city for installing a speed sign and noted that a committee was distributing a questionnaire to nearby residents about desired improvements. The committee plans to meet with the city traffic manager to discuss next steps. Link to Pleasant View Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5NZHFVX Social Ideas: Bike Breakfast, Neighborhood Party, Community Parade The board briefly announced upcoming social events being considered, including participation in the May 1st Bike to Work event, a fall neighborhood party, and potential parades around July 4th or 24th. More details will be provided in future communications. Deadline to sign up to host a breakfast station for the May 1st Bike to Work Day is 5:00 PM on April 18th. Sign up here: Provo Bike to Work Day: Breakfast Station Host Sign-up Police and Safety Update – Police Department Officer Hutchinson, the Community Oriented Policing Officer for District 1, provided updates on several topics: ● Speeding: He encouraged residents to email him about specific problem areas and times so the traffic enforcement team could target efforts. ● E-bikes and golf carts: Officer Hutchinson clarified rules around e-bikes, explaining that pedal- assist bikes are generally allowed on roads and trails. He noted that vehicles resembling dirt bikes without pedals are not street legal. No golf carts are legal on city streets. ● Special Needs Registry: He described a program to register individuals with special needs, providing officers with important information to assist in emergencies or encounters. ● Community policing: Officer Hutchinson emphasized de-escalation training and appropriate responses to individuals with various needs or conditions. He provided his contact information and encouraged residents to reach out with concerns or questions. Officer Hutchinson: office (801) 852-6331,cell (385) 329-4402, bhutchinson@provo.gov Link to Special Needs Registry: Special Needs Registry | Provo, UT Report crimes online here: Report a Crime | Provo, UT Link to Community Crime Map: CityProtect Public Comment Jenny Smith and another member of the Provo Agriculture Commission spoke about efforts to preserve and encourage urban agriculture. They asked residents to share information about agricultural activities in their neighborhoods for highlighting on social media. Send photos, names and contact information about your favorite urban aggie to ag.in.provo@gmail.com Neighborhood Coordinator Rachel Breen demonstrated how to find information about planning items and upcoming meetings on the Neighborhood District 1 webpage on the provo.gov website. Link to Neighborhood District 1 web page: Neighborhood District 1 | Provo, UT Adjournment Chair Matt Wheelwright adjourned the meeting, announcing the next meeting would be held on July 16th at 6:00 PM.