HURRICANE — On Thursday, the Hurricane City Council discussed a proposal to close 100 West between State Street and 100 South to vehicle traffic.
According to Hurricane City’s general plan, “the City supports the transition of 100 West (from State Street to 100 South) from a vehicular road to a plaza, provided that the transition is accompanied by the development of additional, adequate parking.”
A walking district also has been proposed in a draft of the city’s downtown master plan. Due to this, the city administrators considered a temporary closure of the road to vehicle traffic for the summer.
This would allow the Hurricane staff to research the effects of the closure, ask residents their opinion and make recommendations on a permanent solution.
The permanent solution is still up for public debate as Hurricane officials “strive to preserve the small town feel and rural character of its historic downtown area,” states the Downtown Master Plan request for proposals published in August 2022. “Hurricane supports infill development and redevelopment in the downtown.”
Planning Director Stephen Nelson told the council the idea came in a staff meeting to attempt the closure on a temporary basis for the downtown street.
“If we have issues, it will help us to gauge how to fix it,” he said. “If we have a lot of issues then we just open it back up.”
Leisure and Recreational Services Director Tiffani Wright approved the timing for a test run of a walking downtown district.
“I think it would be the least impactful time of year,” she said. “I think it will give us a good look at possible trouble spots.”
The council unanimously voted to temporarily close a one-block section of 100 West — between State Street and 100 South — from Memorial Day, Monday, May 29, to Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 4.
Those possibly affected could be children visiting the community center or those shopping the local farmers market. City administrators will test a drop-off point for children going to the community center and parking will be available along 100 South and other areas of downtown.
“I like the idea of trying it for a while before we make it permanent,” said councilman David Hirschi.
Nelson described the move as tactical urbanism, which is defined as “a low-cost, temporary change to the built environment, usually in cities, intended to improve local neighborhoods and city gathering places.”
Last call
Not on the agenda for the evening, Nelson told the council it would be the last meeting he would be attending. Mayor Nanette Billings thanked him for his service while congratulating his new position as development services director in Cache County.
“I’m excited that Stephen will be joining our team and helping us to deal with the rapid growth our community has been experiencing,” said Cache County Executive David Zook in a news release. “His experience addressing development in two of the state’s fastest growing cities has prepared him well to help us face the challenges that often accompany growth.”
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