City 'gateways' discussed by Smithfield P&Z

By Lisa Christensen

March 21, 2008 | SMITHFIELD -- The Planning and Zoning committee discussed land use for the proposed "gateway" areas at the north and south ends of the city Wednesday night.

The biggest issue was what type of business to allow in the areas, with concerns about aesthetics as well as profitability. Some types of businesses, including wrecking lots and factories, were discouraged because of the atmosphere the committee wanted to promote. Other types, such as repair shops, were encouraged to buy land off Main Street but still in the general area of the gateway.

Doing this, however, would be detrimental economically to Smithfield, said Ed Lawlor, a committee member.

"If you don't give them frontage, you'll chase them away," he said. "You won't see them for 30 years."

Other plans for the gateway areas were discussed, including what types of trees to plant. A tree list borrowed from Springville, where a similar project was recently completed, was used as a basis for building Smithfield's tree list. Chad Kendrick, the Parks Department head, suggested hiring a contractor with a 2-year tree guarantee as many contractors plant trees incorrectly, which causes most of them to die.

"The No. 1 problem with trees is improper planting," he said.

Trees were selected or rejected with consideration to height, width, maintenance, and origin as native plants were encouraged for the project. A tree list tailored for Smithfield will be brought up in a future meeting.

A conditional use permit was also granted at Wednesday's meeting to Amy Eskelsen, to allow her to teach dog obedience classes in her home. The classes would be taught in her yard, in a fenced area, with classes limited to 10 dogs and 10 owners each.

"Social skills are sometimes things dogs lack in," she said.

One concern with granting the permit was noise, which Eskelsen said would not be a problem. The committee also asked if any dog breeding would go on as a part of her business, For the Dog LLC.

"Not during class, no," she said.

Also approved was a conditional use permit for Dennis Spraggins to hold religious services at the Smithfield Lions Lodge for Valley Church, a sister to the Maranatha Church in Logan. Spraggins was previously told by the City Council to seek a conditional use permit for holding services at the Senior Citizens Center and to look for another venue as the Senior Center was used publically on Sundays and also had limited parking. The Lions Lodge has adequate parking and more space for the services, he said. Valley Church currently has fewer than 30 members and the Lions Lodge holds about 140 people in the room Spraggins would be using.

"Hopefully [our congregation] will grow, "Spraggins said, "and by that time we will be in a permanent facility."

Deputy Recorder Char Izatt said that notices were mailed to the surrounding residents of the Lions Lodge and no complaints were filed about the church.

"Neighbors were notified and no one's here," she said.

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