Blanding City gets updates on infrastructure projects and water reports

Members of the Blanding city council got an update on infrastructure projects, water reports and heard a conceptual plan for a tiny-home development at their latest meeting.
City manager Pratt Redd provided updates on some infrastructure projects at the January 27 meeting including the approval of an environmental study for a boat ramp at Recapture Reservoir. The project would replace crushed asphalt with a concrete ramp extending 100 feet, the funding was secured through the Utah Division of Natural Resources.
City staff also reported on a fencing project near the airport that is nearly finished. While deer wandering into the airport boundaries are rare the issue is serious. While the new tall fences will help the issue it was mentioned that maintenance to keep animals from digging underneath will be a key deterrent.
City council also received a report on a curb and gutter project on Main Street. Daisy Concrete has begun preparatory work including saw cutting for the UDOT-backed project.
City council also received a water report with city engineer Patrick Parsons sharing the December water report.
While precipitation levels are above average for the year at 11.6 inches, snow accumulation remains significantly low.
The discrepancy is being attributed to above-average temperatures that have prevented freezing conditions to build the mountain snowpack, with Parsons noting a lack of snowpack could lead to rapid declines of reservoir levels in the summer months if trends continue.
Council also received reports on public safety concerns including a graffiti incident the previous weekend at Centennial Park with the police investigating the incident. Taylor also brought up a trend amongst youth called door kicking, similar to ding-dong ditching, the trend has been a nuisance for Blanding families. Taylor urged parents to talk to their kids, noting the trend could lead to criminal charges adding it violates the cities 11:00 pm curfew.
Redd also brought to the council plans to update the city’s 75-page personnel policy manual. Redd noted the document hadn’t been updated in years with a need to modernize especially relating to the digital age as well as plans to simplify the document to about 50 pages to be more user-friendly for city employees.
Members of the city council also took time to honor council member Erik Grover for his service on the council, with the city presenting Grover with a plaque and gift for his two terms of service on the council.
During public comment members of the council heard from Dan Hurst of T&D Construction.
Hurst approached the council with a conceptual plan for a development project north of city limits.
Having recently finished an apartment complex Hurst proposed developing a rental community featuring 10 “tiny homes” on a one-acre plot.
The conceptual plan would have stick-built homes ranging from 800 to 1,000 square feet intended as affordable rental units. Hurst brought the item to the council for initial informal feedback before proceeding with formal planning and zoning applications, with particular interest in the potential annexation into the city to access municipal services.
The proposal raised technical questions with Hurst explaining that the current water pressure at the site would require a cistern system, with the city pumping water into the system and the property pumping to individual units to meet state codes.
Council offered informal support for the concept of affordable housing but emphasized the need to follow established zoning regulations.
The city believed the project if it did move forward would likely be annexed as R2 if it were to move forward with a recommendation to follow required setbacks and square footage requirements.
"We're in support of development, but I would recommend that you do start with planning and zoning," said council member Charlie Taylor. "For us to say, 'Yes, we're going to approve a non-conforming (use) to you tonight' would be wrong.” Still council seemed generally amenable to the proposal with the project to go through required planning and zoning steps next.