IVINS — After securing more funding for the ongoing effort to widen and renovate Old Dixie Highway 91, the City Council made additional moves to accommodate a homeowner at one corner of the highway. But one council member expressed reservations about too many compromises for the homeowner and for cyclists.
In a 4-1 vote at its Thursday night meeting, the council agreed to changes to a 500-foot stretch of the ongoing road project west of a new roundabout to be built at the corner of the 91 and 400 West. This will allow for the road to be widened, as well as a new pedestrian trail and bike path to be added, without having to purchase or seize the land of three homeowners at the corner.
At the last meeting Feb. 16, the council unanimously approved $499,000 for the project that will widen the 91 from Red Mountain Boulevard to Kwavasa Drive, add roundabouts at 400 West and Kwavasa and add pedestrian and bike trails to Fire Lake Park.
On Thursday, the council was presented with a revised plan from the city’s public works department to slightly change a short portion of the road after the 400 West roundabout in response to a homeowner’s complaints that the expanded road was going to encroach on her property.
Kendra Thomas was back before the council Thursday after previously accusing council member Lance Anderson of threatening to use eminent domain to take part of her property.
Thomas agreed with the presented plan that slightly moves the trails over in the 500-foot area while reducing the width of the center median to 2 to 12 feet and cutting the bike lane a foot to 5 feet wide. The change keeps the road and trails at least a 1 1/2 feet from the Thomas property line, Tom Jorgensen, who serves as the assistant public works director, told the council.
In return for the city’s compromise, Thomas is being made responsible for any damage caused by flooding on her property and releasing the city from any liability with the reduction in drainage from the move.
“I appreciate the city working with us,” Thomas said. “I’m concerned, but it’s better than eminent domain.”
Anderson praised the work of the public works department to work to create a plan that worked for Thomas and the city but motioned to make an additional change to take an additional foot off the bike lane and make it 4 feet wide to allow for a wider center median of the road.
“There will be more vehicles on the road than bikes,” Anderson said. “To me, the lanes and median are more important to the bike lane.”
While not having a vote, Mayor Chris Hart opposed the idea.
“This is the road we’ve had two cycling deaths. You try a 4-foot bike lane,” Hart said. “This is a motion between cosmetics and safety.”
Anderson’s motion failed 2-3. After that, the adjustments as originally described were approved in a 4-1 vote, with Anderson voting no.
Ivins re-ups with TDS but opens up for more competition
While the council approved a renewal of the city’s non-exclusive agreement for TDS Broadband Service LLC to provide cable television services, it augmented the agreement to make it even less exclusive.
As part of the new agreement, there will no longer be a clause that any other cable TV operator would have to build out throughout the entire city to also operate in Ivins, as has been previously the case.
For example, previously if a cable operator wanted to just operate at one resort or a few blocks, they would not be able to.
City Manager Dale Coulam said this change will promote competition.
“That competition could increase services, decrease prices or both,” Coulam said.
While the Thursday agreement only covers cable TV services, Hart took note that just the discussion of bringing in competition on the internet side has helped increase services there.
“When we were having conservations with UTOPIA, suddenly there was a flurry of activity from TDS and CenturyLink,” Hart said.
The council voted for the new agreement 4-1, with Anderson voting no.
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.