...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON MDT
SATURDAY...
* WHAT...Snow. Additional snow accumulations of 1 to 4 inches on
the valley floors and up to 8 inches possible on the benches.
* WHERE...Tooele and Rush Valleys, Eastern Box Elder County,
Northern Wasatch Front, Salt Lake Valley, Utah Valley and
Cache Valley/Utah Portion.
* WHEN...Until noon MDT Saturday.
* IMPACTS...Winter driving conditions are expected. The Friday
morning commute will be impacted, primarily north of Salt Lake
City.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Slow down and use caution while traveling.
For graphical depictions of the snowfall forecast, including
Official NWS Forecast, High End Amount, and Low End Amount, visit
weather.gov/slc/winter.
For winter road conditions from the Utah Department of
Transportation, visit
http://www.udottraffic.utah.gov/roadweatherforecast.aspx.
&&
“We as local communities need to do a better job of figuring this out ourselves,” said Cache County Executive David Zook. “If we don’t, the state will come up with their own solutions and impose them on us.”
He’s been close to the problems Cache Valley faces through housing unavailability not only in his current position, but also in prior occupations when he worked as Nibley’s city manager and a member of Hyde Park’s Planning Commission.
Last April, he launched a task force to further examine the issue.
One of the topics that was largely discussed is where the county’s growth is coming from. While many community members believe the population is being driven up by people moving here from other parts of the country, Zook explained, about 85% of the growth is actually internal — current residents having kids.
Still, many residents of Cache Valley are hesitant to accept denser or more affordable housing models into their communities.
“Initially some of the task force members were pointing fingers at local elected officials, city council members specifically, and saying that they were the source of the problem,” Zook recalled. “It was quickly pointed out to those members of the task force that the reason why the city council members are taking the positions they are is because of the pressure they’re receiving from their citizens.”
Shawn Milne — Cache, Rich, and Box Elder counties’ economic developer — shared his concerns on the topic with The Herald Journal for a Feb. 24 article.
He said failure to address the problem would lead to Utah losing its current high economic standing.
While Milne believes in potential solvency from state regulations and incentives, Zook maintains hope for more localized solutions.
He said his number one piece of advice to residents is “to get involved, to get educated, to participate in the planning process for their community.”
While he said he’s seen several occasions where community members take a stance against looming housing projects or developments, it’s often “too late to change the trajectory.”
He’s seen a lot fewer speak up when local governments are making the decisions that lead to those proposal through things like general plans, zoning ordinances and annexations.
“I’ve been in multiple meetings over the years where the crowds of citizens come to complain about a proposed development, and they complain,” he said. “And then they leave right before the city council starts discussing a policy that’s going to affect future development.”
When people become more involved and begin to understand the several components of the valley’s current housing issues, Zook explained, they are often able to better weigh possible solutions with an understanding of a “multitude of factors,” which can create grounds for compromises and solutions.
Editor's note: This story has been edited to accurately reflect a quotation.
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