Committee
mulls what 'downtown River Heights' might look like
By Patrick
Oden
April 22, 2009 | RIVER HEIGHTS --The potential mixed
use zoning of the Riverdale area and the ordinance that
will establish development guidelines were discussed
by the Planning and Zoning Committee Tuesday night.
The mixed use development in the Riverdale area will
involve both the cities of Logan and River Heights.
The committee wants the new ordinance to compliment
that of Logan's while insuring it stays true to the
city's general plan of a "walkable community," said
chairman Matt Syme, who defined mixed uses as an area
of higher density housing with a commercial aspect.
"We don't want to promote big box stores with large
parking lots," Syme said. "That's one of the objectives,
avoid all the asphalt."
The area of 400 South Street to 700 South Street and
Main Street to 400 East Street is what the committee
refers to as the "Riverdale area," said City Recorder
Sheila Lind.
The committee discussed their vision of an area where
small retail business and restaurants would exist with
apartments or office space above them. The area, as
envisioned by the committee, would have a minimum of
40 percent "green space" and natural elements such as
trails and parks to act as community gathering places.
Councilman Steve Barfus said he felt that restaurants
would be best suited for the area. Public spaces would
draw people to the area, who would in turn shop and
dine, Barfus said.
The city will be drawing upon Logan city's mixed use
ordinance as well as one borrowed from Manchester, N.H.,
which the committee felt well emulated the city's desires
for the area. The new ordinance will be drafted once
committee members have decided how to merge the two
existing ordinances, incorporating any additional items
the committee feels necessary.
A public hearing will be held prior to the adoption
of the new mixed use ordinance, which would be used
to rezone existing residential and agricultural land
in the Riverdale area.
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