NORTH LOGAN—After two joint workshops and approximately eight hours of debate and discussion, The Planning Commission is feeling confident with their newfound direction.

“I doubt there will be another joint workshop,” said Planning Commission Chair Mark Hancey. There has been “more forethought on this then any other ordinance that I have, as a coucilman, seen the city address.”

Following Wednesday’s workshop, Hancey explained that the city council-planning commission collaborations have been successful in clarifying the ideas of both committees. Ordinance modifications will start taking place as soon as next week.

The specific city ordinance on agenda during both workshops will clarify and redefine the zoning regulations of the property utilized in the development of the future North Logan City Center. And under legal mandate, the ordinance has to be completed by Nov. 16.

“How do we as a city move towards locking this down?” Hancey asked.

Wednesday’s workshop, the second of two in the past month, was held in attempt to agree on a concept for the ordinance rather than a design of the city center—something the committees had to be reminded of multiple times.

“We need to make sure the words say what we want them to say,” said North Logan City Mayor Lloyd Berentzen. “What if we don’t focus on the shape so much as the location? I really worry that we’re so concerned with infrastructure and density that we’re forgetting the idea. We’ve kind of derailed here again.”

Predictable debates distracted the conversation and divided opinions encouraged debate; the first item on the agenda took a little less that an hour to conclude.

Hancey explained that regardless of the chaos, the “skeleton, flesh, bones and the muscle” of the ordinance have been drafted for months now—and with the conclusion of these two meetings, the planning commission finally has the conversations and tools they need to complete the ordinance entirely.

Even if the discussion drifted in and out of the topic-at-hand. “I think that’s just the nature of a large group,” Hancey said.

North Logan’s City Council and Planning Commission both have scheduled meetings this week, independent of one another. Currently agenda-free, the planning commission’s meeting will be solely dedicated to the construction of the “City Center code” ordinance.

Dates and times and any alterations can be found at http://www.ci.north-logan.ut.us/.

Published in cooperation with the Hard News Cafe. Original story is here.