Cheyenne city officials approve new downtown development plan
CHEYENNE — After around 18 months of work, the Cheyenne City Council has approved a new Downtown Development Plan, a strategy outlining the vision for the capital city's downtown core going forward.
The $108,000 plan was paid for with mill levy funds from the Downtown Development Authority. It builds on an initial DDA Master Plan created in 1991, and was aimed to consolidate 50 different previous downtown plans.
This plan was primarily crafted through research on the downtown community and input collected from public sessions where community members were given the opportunity to provide feedback on the direction they would like to see downtown Cheyenne go.
The 70-page planning document was crafted by the DDA after receiving around 850 online questionnaire responses, hosting three downtown business and property owner work sessions and seven public events that engaged more than 350 attendees.
According to the report, feedback from the business and property owners, the public and the DDA Board highlighted the desire to focus future DDA efforts on completion of previous projects, rather than identifying new actions. They specifically mentioned completion of the Reed Avenue Rail Corridor and the West Edge enhancements, multimodal pathway connections and 15th Street enhancements.
Attendees from the public open houses also expressed a desire to redevelop the large surface parking lots to address high-priority, additional needs for housing, public spaces and restaurants.
Overall, the plan identified four top themes on which to focus over the next five to 10 years. Those are building and street character, economic and cultural development, infrastructure and land use, and transportation and parking.
The DDA breaks down what working under these themes looks like in the document. It also addresses several ways the city and business and property owners can work together to address the top priorities within these themes by suggesting multiple action items.
Before approval on Monday, DDA board members discussed with City Council members what this plan means for downtown Cheyenne.
Brian Bau, DDA board member and owner of The Albany restaurant and bar, said the DDA and its staff will be able to use this plan to become a robust point of connection and a resource for those who want to grow and build downtown. Wendy Volk, another DDA board member, said the plan will be a guiding document.
'It has short-term, medium-term and long-term goals. It's a fluid document,' she said.
Some plans in the past have been overly ambitious or unrealistic. Others have resulted in significant changes downtown, like the LED lights strung over 17th Street, the bronze statues on street corners and the concrete rectangular planters lining the streets downtown. City Council members expressed optimism about this plan going forward if it is approached realistically.
Before approving the plan, council member Tom Segrave moved to amend the document based on suggestions from the city's Planning Commission. This amendment incorporated additional goals of addressing parking, walkability, the 'hole' next to the Hynds Building and including a reference to downtown grant programs available through the DDA.
'As a former DDA board member and chairman, I very much want to support this,' Segrave said. 'I also want to say that I've been very disappointed in the DDA, particularly the last few years. It seems like they've lost their focus at times and their mission. If this document provides that for the DDA, then it's well worth the money spent.'
He added that members of the City Council must hold the DDA accountable for the goals outlined in this plan.
'There are so many things that come in front of us that tend to get lost along the way, and somehow, we need to keep that in focus,' he said.
Council member Pete Laybourn expressed a similar sentiment, saying that the previous 50 plans were difficult to implement, and this one will be no different without any accountability.
'There are economic changes that the city has no control over. There are all sorts of changes that happen in the commercial enterprises. There is real need for understanding of our very ambitious programs here on the west side (of downtown),' Laybourn said. 'So, I want to be realistic.'
Segrave's amendment to the document was passed unanimously, followed by a unanimous vote in support of the development plan from the governing body.
The plan was created by the DDA's Board of Directors in partnership with the DDA and city staff and urban planning consultant Logan Simpson.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
3 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Batavia joins other local municipalities in restricting purchase of hemp-derived THC products
Batavia is joining other suburban communities in restricting access to hemp-derived THC products and Kratom, in a move officials say is meant to restrict access to the products in a similar way to restrictions on recreational marijuana. Without strong state and federal regulations, stores selling hemp products that can get users high do not face restrictions on the age of their customers, nor are they required to test and report on their products' potency or impurities they contain, according to past reporting on the topic. As a result, numerous Chicago suburbs have taken to issuing bans or regulations on the products. Now, Batavia is implementing restrictions of its own, focused on limiting access to customers 21 years old and older and instituting storage and packaging limitations meant to curb young people's access to the products. The idea of restricting access to hemp-derived products and Kratom has been months in the making, Batavia Police Chief Eric Blowers explained at a City Council Committee of the Whole meeting in May. Originally, there was a proposal to restrict the types of hemp-derived products that could be sold in Batavia, said City Administrator Laura Newman, but that idea was sent back to the drawing board. Blowers said he worked with Cheryl Cryer, the owner of Urban Apothecary in Batavia, to work up a new ordinance imposing restrictions on hemp-derived THC product and Kratom sales. The ordinance brought to the City Council in June did not include restrictions on the types of products that can be sold in the city, Newman explained, but focused on limiting who can buy the products and how. After getting approval from the City Council on June 2, the ordinance will establish a new chapter in the city's code as part of its business and license regulations. Here's what it includes: First, the ordinance defines what constitutes a hemp-derived product, and defines Kratom as 'any part of the plant Mitragyna speciosa, whether growing or not, and any compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of that plant, including, but not limited to, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine.' Then, it outlines the new rules governing the sale and display of the products. Per the new restrictions, businesses must check that a person buying any of these products is 21 years old or older by requiring them to show identification. Additionally, displays of 'intoxicating products' must be behind a sales or service counter or in a locked case so that a buyer requires an employee's assistance to get it, or it must be in a section of the business where other age-restricted products are kept. Or, a business can restrict access to customers 21 and older unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who is at least 21. The business must check for written proof of identity upon entry and post a sign at the entrance of the business that indicates access is restricted to those 21 and older. Businesses that opt not to restrict entry to those 21 and older unless they're accompanied by a parent or guardian must post a sign near every display of such products informing customers that buying these products is illegal if you are under 21. Lastly, the ordinance prohibits packaging that 'resembles trademarked, characteristic or product-specialized packaging' or commercially available candy, snacks, baked goods and beverages. It also states that hemp-derived THC products and Kratom products cannot contain images of food, candy, baked goods, cereal, fruit, beverages or the words 'candy' or 'candies,' nor can the packaging include images or graphics like those typically used to advertise to children, like cartoons, neon colors and celebrities. The age restriction is meant to mirror existing limitations on recreational marijuana purchases, Blowers previously told the City Council. And, the regulations on how the products are packaged are intended to 'limit the appeal of those products to kids, but also to prevent accidental ingestion by young children who may find an adult's hemp-derived THC and then mistake it for candy,' he noted. The restrictions passed recently apply to smoke and vape shops in the area, or other stores selling hemp-derived THC or Kratom products, according to Newman. It wouldn't apply to marijuana dispensaries, Blowers told The Beacon-News, because they're regulated by the state. Although more than 60% of Batavia voters came out in support of allowing recreational weed to be sold in 2020, no dispensaries currently operate in the city. But that's set to change soon, as a recreational marijuana dispensary is preparing to open in the near future at 144 S. Randall Road, according to past reporting. Despite some debate among residents as the proposal came before the City Council, it ultimately voted to approve the dispensary's plans in January, allowing the project by Rubino Ventures to move forward with getting the necessary city permits to open a Dutchess Cannabis location in the city. It would be their fifth location in the region. Following their passage by the City Council, the hemp and Kratom restrictions will take effect immediately, Blowers said. But they're taking an 'educational stance,' he said, as businesses get into compliance with the new rules. Blowers said they've informed businesses they know are selling these products of the new ordinance, and they will begin doing compliance checks in the near future.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sanitation fee passes, begins July 1
The sanitation fee resolution, which caused many conversations and criticisms within Lebanon, was passed by the City Council in a 4-2 vote during Tuesday's meeting. The structure of the fee will be $20 for residential customers and $40 for business customers. The city's sanitation department does not pick up dumpsters used by businesses, only bins specifically used for the city service. Geri Ashley and Camille Burdine, Councilors for Ward 2 and 3 respectively, stuck to their votes against the fee for the second reading. Both raised concerns of how residents at or below the poverty line or seniors on fixed incomes may be impacted by the $20 per month fee. Questions regarding how the sanitation department is funded were asked as confusion rippled through the community. 'This was an unadvertised discussion in a work session. It was a 15-minute discussion,' Ashley said. 'I still don't have all my questions answered. I don't feel like I have the economic information.' 'I think that we should, as a City Council, have spent more time talking about it and seeing if we could come up with any other solutions,' Ashley added. 'If in fact we are paying for garbage in our city's taxes, and now we're incorporating a fee, then what happens next year when we get our taxes? Are our taxes going to be reduced at that point, because that is a double dip.' On Wednesday, Burdine reiterated her thoughts that the city should be more proactive in studying the impact on the citizens before a fee was implemented. She said the response to rising costs caused the city to be 'reactive instead of proactive.' Burdine said she is not opposed to a sanitation fee, but feels that more time should have been spent researching it. Also on Wednesday, Ashley called the fee a 'knee-jerk reaction' and likewise felt that not enough research was done. She also said instead of a flat fee, a property tax increase would take into account the property values and Wards 1, 2 and 3 would not have to deal with a monthly fee which might be a burden. Ashley said she wants to see if the sanitation fee will disappear from the property taxes. Ward 1 Councilor Joey Carmack said he supported the fee because it's a flat fee that all residents pay, which doesn't fluctuate. 'I do not feel it's fair for the sanitation fee to be a property tax,' Carmack said. 'A property tax would be unfair, because for example, person one has a $1 million house, and [may] only have one can of trash. They would pay more taxes than person two [who has] a $350,000 home.' 'We dump the trash from the city at Walter Hill (in Murfreesboro), which has been in the news about closing soon,' Carmack added. 'When that does happen, we will be paying even more to dump trash.' Middle Point Landfill has been working with Rutherford County to increase fees for 'out-of-county' tipping fees, as well as downsizing the number of counties allowed to dump there. During a meeting earlier this year, it was proposed to double the fees for non-Rutherford County clients from $1.20 per ton to $2.50 per ton to generate more revenue for that county. The town meeting hall had more residents in attendance than usual, which was commented on by the Councilors, who expressed gratitude for the increased attendance. Burdine, Chris Crowell, Councilor for Ward 4 and Phil Morehead, Councilor for Ward 6, particularly welcomed the attendance and interest in city business. During the public comment period, nearly a dozen people spoke to the City Council. One resident, Stephen Lawson, said he and others should have the option to opt out of the fee, and that he would rather pay a private company $30 to support that business than give the city $20. He also asked if there were other landfills which could be used. 'I thought there was a landfill in Wilson County. Is that one full?' Lawson asked. 'That's owned by the Wilson County government, and it's just open to construction materials,' Mayor Bell responded. 'It's not open to us.' Alex Buhler, former Ward 1 Councilor who stepped-down in 2012, also spoke. 'They should have that option to opt out,' Buhler said. 'If a thousand people opt out, that's a thousand houses you don't have to go to.' Bell responded by saying that wouldn't save as much money as people think because the sanitation trucks will still be driving by those houses anyway. Some of the Councilors said they don't know if private companies would have the same quality of work that the city does, as officials believe sanitation is a public health matter which the Council 'takes seriously.' Another resident wondered if the sanitation fee would lead to the start of 'nickel and diming' the residents of the city. Glenn Denton, County Commissioner for District 20, which covers the downtown Lebanon region of the county, criticized the growth of the city, which he thinks sparked the need for growing services and the fees to pay for them. 'Enough is enough. We have overbuilt in our city beyond what our infrastructure can handle,' Denton said. 'When do we stop building to where we cannot service and when we cannot pay for the infrastructure around it?' Nearly an hour and a half was spent discussing the sanitation fee and budget for the next year. With the passing of the resolution, the sanitation fee goes into effect July 1.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Salt Lake City considers raising costs of metered parking, minimizing free time
SALT LAKE CITY () — Parking in downtown Salt Lake City may start making a bigger dent in your wallet. As part of the city budget for the 2026 fiscal year, the Salt Lake City Council is considering changing the hourly rates for metered parking throughout the city, as well as the collection days and hours. Currently, metered parking is available at just $2.25 an hour. The city collects this fee between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. On Saturday, the parking is free for two hours, while on Sunday, parking is free for the whole day. Carp chaos at Utah Lake as carp overpopulation becomes serious problem Under the proposed changes, the hourly rate for metered parking would rise to $3.50 an hour. The proposal would also take away the two free hours on Saturday and extend the collection hours from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Sunday would keep its free parking. The Salt Lake City Council will next meet on Tuesday, June 10, at 1 p.m. for a work session, where the calendar includes considering unresolved issues. A formal City Council meeting will be held at 7 p.m., where council members will consider adopting the proposed budget. Escape today to OUTRIGGER Ka'anapali Beach Resort Jeffries declines to embrace Musk amid the billionaire's feud with Trump Salt Lake City Mission hosting pickleball event to help kids, change lives Elevate your outdoor adventure with the 2025 Forest River Rockwood Roo 17E Trump administration faces growing bipartisan pressure over Job Corps Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
