Update on the Park Strip

The plan to enforce the parkstrip rule passed 4-1 last week.

There may be accomodations made for parking, with each appeal costing $212 and none of the accomodations resulting in park strip parking. Permits may be issued for parallel street parking, costing $200 each. A volunteer group of citizens may be formed as an advisory board on parking decisions that will be made at the individual property level.

For more on the enforcement plan, see the Herald Journal.

Local Matters: The Park Strip

Around town there are signs in yards that read "Logan City Leave Our Property Alone". The issue is planned enforcement of a restriction on parking in the "park strip" - the area between the curb and the sidewalk. The proponents of enforcement see this parking practice as being related to blight because it makes these formerly single family homes easier to rent out to college kids.

The area where this is most common (or the focus of the issue) is the area just west of the university that's really popular to rent out to college kids. Many of the homes were built in before 1950. Many of the properties are situated on small lots with structures blocking the ability move parking to the back of the lots. The other local factor is that during winter months parking is not allowed on the streets at night - for ease of snow removal - I guess.

What I find kind of odd in this whole situation is that the area in question has fewer "blighted" properties than other areas in central Logan - such as the west side and the Island. Equally goofy are the "alternatives" being proposed. I'm not sure what Steve Thompson is getting at and why he thinks it will help. Keep the parking, increase taxes and subsidize the improvement of "blighted" property and offer free sidewalk snow removal? The details are as murky as coffee - to borrow Mr. Thompson's "joke".

The city council will vote on a resolution tomorrow night at the Municipal City Council Meeting, 5:30, May 13. My prediction is that this issue will not be resolved so quickly. As a prospective home buyer, the uncertainty is making it hard to make a decision about where to settle in Logan.

White Owl Closed

Some TNT mates and I gave some thought to hosting a New Years Eve party to raise money, but we thought we might have too much competition. If only we'd known!!!

I heard on NPR this AM that the White Owl is getting shutdown from Dec 31 to Jan 4 for serving a minor. According the Herald Journal, the White Owl has an incredibly strict underage drinking policy and the minor was let in by mistake.

Lowest Crime in US

The Logan metropolitan area is the safest in the country. Read about it here.

Sunday Beer

The big story this week in Cache Valley is the sale of beer at the Nibley Maverick on Sundays. It turns out that Nibley (town south of Logan) just doesn't have a law against it. There is discussion of expanding beer sales to other cities in the Valley and Nibley may decide to write an ordinance prohibiting Sunday beer. So, get it while it's hot.

BTW, Mickey did a post on the liquor laws. Seems to be consistent with what I've learned. I think he left out the bit about 1oz of liquor limit in cocktails. Or maybe that's myth.

The next challenge, the skinny on how drinks change by venue. E.g. the Corona at Chili's is standard. At Et Toro, it's 3.2, but the Negro Modelo is standard. Everything at the White Owl is under 4%. I'm not sure I got that right, but I'm coming to understand that it's a little more complicated than I thought at first.