A developer is building 312 apartments and 55 townhomes in Logan with indoor basketball and pickleball courts and swimming pools and hot tubs along the Nibley/Logan border adjacent to NIbley City parks.
NIBLEY – A developer is building 312 apartments and 55 townhomes in Logan with indoor basketball and pickleball courts plus swimming pools and hot tubs along the Nibley/Logan border. Nibley officials are unhappy with the huge Strata apartment complex adjacent to their city and their parks, and are doing their best to turn things around.
Mayor Shawn Dustin posted a letter on the Nibley City Facebook page telling their citizens the elected representatives didn’t vote for this, encourage this, or otherwise cause this.
“The apartments are not within Nibley City boundaries,” the mayor said in his post. “They are across the street in Logan and unfortunately 100 percent of the impact from this development will fall on Nibley.”
The Mayor and City Council are working hard to minimize the impact on the city and neighborhoods.
“Logan is annexing and rezoning property along 2200 South near the Firefly Park,” Dustin said. “So far, they have zoned approximately 45 acres with an average density of 20 units per acre.”
Developers are in the process of doing the same thing with the land immediately north of Clear Creek Park on another 40 acres. Nibley does not have ordinances that allow high density development. Logan does.
Dustin said the newcomers will move into homes in an amazing community where they felt like their kids would be safe and have a fighting chance to grow up and be happy.
He asked the citizens of Nibley to welcome some 7,500-9,000 new people who technically live in and pay taxes in Logan, but who culturally live in, go to school, go to church and use parks in Nibley.
“Logan’s intent is to zone all the property Logan controls for similar development, annex all of the property in the County on both sides of 2200 South and to support any property developers in Nibley that want to annex from Nibley and go into Logan with the same density,” the mayor said. “This includes the Firefly Estates PUD, which could potentially go from 128 single family homes and townhomes, with 30-40% park space, to 400 apartments.”
To pay for all of these impacts Logan is collecting all the taxes. Nibley City officials want to put ordinances in place and work with the developers themselves.
“We get the development, but we get it on our terms, including open space,” he said. “The taxes from the development will pay for the impact, and benefit both the people paying them and the people living nearby.”
City officials never wanted or intended to have a multifamily ordinance, but sharing a common border has forced their hand, and the mayor says the best way to protect their property, their kids, and their community is to welcome the new people.
“We are now in the process of developing a multifamily ordinance that can be used in the 2200 South area, which makes sure that the apartments that will happen in the area are connected, vibrant, and conform to Nibley values,” Dustin said. “Your council members, Planning Commission members, and I, need your input and hopefully your support.”
The city’s fear is landowners will let Logan develop under Logan control, and the money that should be used to maintain them will also be under Logan control. Nibley City officials are asking their citizens to follow the process on Facebook and in upcoming meetings and give them feedback on their new ordinance.