THE BLUFFS REVISITED
City Council approves new/old subdivision.
The Salmon City Council approved a development agreement for a new subdivision at its March 17 meeting.
The Bluffs Subdivision is located on South Saint Charles Street at Katherine Lane across from the Syringa Apartments. The subdivision had been before the City Council and the Planning and Zoning Board several years ago. It was not approved due to some details missing and questions to be answered such as, who is expected to pay what fees and a Planning and Zoning requirement for each lot owner to have a run-off plan. City Administrator Emery Penner said those details have been worked out and the 9-lot plan is much smaller than the expansive plan originally introduced. He said it’s time for an approval so the developers can move forward.
City Attorney Fred Snook said the new agreement regarding who pays for city hook ups is written correctly clearing up former confusion. He said this agreement states that no city utility or hook-up fees will be paid until the person who purchases the building lot signs up with the City of Salmon for the services. The developer pays for the meter installation and all the parts leading up to a city connection. The developer will not be responsible for the city hook-up fees and monthly fees thereafter.
Councilor Jim Baker had many questions about the agreement one of them being why there are Phase I Phase II time frames and he questioned the sewer line route being proposed to serve the lots. He asked why each individual lot had to do its own run-off plan instead of the whole subdivision. Jared Bragg of High Basin Engineering. the project’s engineer, said in the first hearings the Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Board was worried about storm run-off problems once the lot is sold. P&Z made the individual owners having to have a run-off plan for their property a condition of obtaining a building permit. As to the thinking behind the time frames of the phases Bragg said the developer in this case is used to working in municipalities that demand to know when the property will be developed. Penner agreed that for city planning purposes it would be a good thing to have a time-frame of completion.
In answer to the question of a sewer easement for the city Bragg said there is an easement in the plat map and he said the positioning of the line is to take advantage of a gravity flow system rather having to have an in-line pump or lift station.
The question-and-answer discussion continued until it came time for a vote. Councilors Robin Phillips, Russ Chinski, Jim Bockelman, Fred Waidely and Neal James voted ‘yes’ and Baker voted ‘no’. The Bluff Subdivision was approved.
The council went on to approve a $10,000 grant for extra law enforcement patrol, the SSAPCO Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Police Chief KV Felker said it is the same funding that was approved last year and that it was helpful for overtime hours. He said it is also available for the Sheriff’s Office overtime as well. The council voted unanimous to approve the MOU.