By Kelsey Koenen

November 16, 2007 | NIBLEY -- The door didn't stop squeaking open as the clock approached 7 p.m. at the council meeting Thursday night; Nibley residents crowded into city hall to oppose the making of a road from U.S. 89 to an established industrial park through Nibley Garden Estates.

"I'm kind of a one-trip pony tonight," P&Z Commission and Nibley resident, Shaun Dustin said.

Dustin brought in a petition with the heading "Don't make Nibley Gardens and Stonebridge a de facto Truck Route" with 149 signatures on it and plenty more in attendance willing to endorse.

"I think this is an easy fix. Take it out of the master plan and make sure it doesn't happen," another Nibley resident, Nadean Lescoe, said.

The meeting was held open to the public to discuss any issues regarding the new general plan that may be adopted in December. The council asked by raise of hands how many were there to object to the making of the Nibley Gardens Estates road and nearly all present held their hands firmly in the air.

Lescoe also had several comments to make regarding the safety hazards that could follow if there was a connection made to 89.

"It should be up to us. It should be put to a vote of the people," Lescoe said, "There are some things that are just very tender to the people. There's just not enough room there, those are small cul-de-sacs."

"The general plan does not dictate what we do, it tells us how to write our ordinances, gives us directions, guidelines," Councilman Larry Jacobsen said.

"We appreciate this input this is something I have not heard," Mayor Gerald Knight said, "I was not aware of these types of concerns."

Wes Smedley, Nibley resident, asked the mayor if the general plan and or city officials envision Nibley as eventually becoming a city of 40,000, 50,000 or 60,000 people.

"No one on this council has that idea. We doubled in the last five years," Councilman Bryan Hansen said, "The whole idea is we're actually creating a vision for our city. Developers know how we want to develop it in favor of farmland being used actively to maintain the things that actually make Nibley unique. It is not a pro-growth plan."

"We're not out there seeking that," Knight said, "It's a pro-open-space plan. Control growth by a good plan."

Several residents asked about the hiring of a full-time qualified city planner.

"If we go out and start hiring more people, there's a balancing act," Knight said, "we can raise your taxes, and there may be reasons to bite the bullet and raise taxes."

Nibley city however, in the last four months, has recently hired Shari Phipten as a full-time zoning administrator.

As the meeting drew to a close, and the public hearing was closed, Knight and Councilman Scott Larsen assured the public that the council had heard their comments and would take great consideration for them before the general plan would be adopted in December.

"I didn't know what I was getting into when I moved to Nibley," Larsen said, "The fact that I'm where I'm at and chosen to stay there for nine years says something about Nibley.

"Let's try to make reasons for people to stay," Larsen said.

In other business, Bill Green was approved by the council to serve on the P&Z Commission.

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