Nibley council defines how much landscaping builders must do on lots

By Ranae Bangerter

February 6, 2006 | NIBLEY -- After more than an hour of discussion and amendments to a motion determining what the city's interpretation of a building site or lot was, the City Council let the Planning and Zoning Commission decide, during the town meeting Thursday night.

The topic, Mountain Valley Machinery's Building permit, was brought up by an appeal from the planning commission to refuse the company a building permit.

With a motion from Councilman Thayne Mickelson the council agreed that 20 percent of the lot has to have landscaping within three years of purchase and building. The motion also included what the builders need to abide by: not storing equipment on dirt ground, and groundcover needs to be planted on the unused portion of the lot to prevent erosion.

The controversy was within the ordinance, to have the builders develop and landscape the site only, instead of the entire lot.

Consideration of an U.S. Highway 89-91 corridor agreement was also addressed in the meeting.

Councilmen gave their opinions of the agreement. The agreement said it would not be studied again for 15 years, but City Manager Larry Anhder said that is too long because of the growth coming to Logan.

"If we had 2,000 people [move in] every five years" as they have in the past, "in 15 years from now we'd have a community of 8,000 people," he said.

They determined that in eight years they would have the chance to plan and include more options for locations of traffic lights.

The council voted on the agreement and it was unanimous.

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