| This vacant lot could soon be the site for new homes in Castle Dale. |
Mayor Neal Peacock announced the plans for a new subdivision near the elementary school. “We are pleased with this proposal,” said the mayor. “There will be 35 lots for new homes to be built and they will be nice sized lots. The property is just north of the site of the new pool. People can purchase a lot to build on, or the subdivider will build for them. There will also be a green space in this project. This is an exciting, good thing for Castle Dale. The city is working hard to make sure people who want to build in Castle Dale have some opportunity.”
The Emery County Children’s Justice Center was discussed at the recent Castle Dale City Council meeting. Shelly Wright presented several packets of information concerning the functions of the center in Price and others around the state. She stated the proposed center in Castle Dale would be the same.
In the past, a children’s justice center was located in Castle Dale, but due to circumstances more than a year ago, the center was closed. Wright has been working with the Emery County Commissioners to open another center in the county. A parcel of property was located on Center Street in Castle Dale and Wright was asking about the zoning and regulations to construct a center on this property.
This parcel of property will be donated by the Emery County School District for the construction. They have also donated the labor to be done on the building by the construction classes from Emery High School. The only items which would need to be purchased will be the building materials.
Emery County Commissioner Gary Kofford said, “This will not be a conventional home with someone living there all the time. It will look like a home and that design will provide a more comfortable atmosphere for the children who will be there at times. This will also be a safe house for those in need. We are inquiring about any special use permits that will be needed to begin construction. We are just exploring options and there are still some things that need to be worked out. I feel this will be an asset to Castle Dale.”
Wright added that the lot will be fully landscaped and there are several youth groups who will maintain the landscaping.
Mayor Peacock said he was excited about this project, but he has concerns about the zoning of the location. Peacock asked the city’s zoning administrator Kerry Lake to look into the details of the ordinances and the possibility of this center being built in Castle Dale.
Lake stated the zoning committee will hold a special meeting to investigate and they will check the legality of the project.
Councilman Joel Dorsch presented a proposal to the council concerning renting stalls from a city resident to be located at the Blue Sage Arena at the fairgrounds. The contract he presented has been reviewed and approved by the city’s attorney. Dempsey Jeffs will do his Eagle project and make the signs for the arena.
“The stalls are the logical next step at the arena,” said Dorsch. “This contract is only for a three month period and will be reviewed at that time.” The council approved to enter into this contract.
Another item for discussion was the proposal to reduce lot size in the county areas adjacent to the cities in Emery County. The proposal is suggesting to reduce the amount of acreage from 10 acres to two acres for building a home in the county. Mayor Peacock stated Castle Dale City has discussed this issue and is opposed to this ordinance change.
“The commissioners will make the ultimate decision about this change. If this measure is approved, the cities in the county will feel pressure from those residents building on those lots to provide services that they are not paying city taxes for. There are instances like that now, but they were grandfathered into the system before many of the ordinances were established. We, as a council, must plan for and research this issue and how the city will handle the possibilities,” said Mayor Peacock.
Councilman Brad Giles said, “One important issue in the proposed change is the governing body of the city will have the ultimate say before a building permit can be issued. Right now, it is against Castle Dale City ordinances as far as water is concerned.”
Castle Dale City calendars will be distributed after Christmas. A New Year’s Eve party will be hosted by the Emery High Peer Helpers at Emery Recreation Center on Dec. 31 from 5-9 p.m. It will be a family oriented party with food and games.