Payson Roundup

It was one step forward and two steps back at the latest Star Valley general plan meeting.

Four months ago, the committee worked tirelessly with Peter Armenta, community development director with Central Arizona Association of Governments and Star Valley’s general plan drafter, to shore up a draft that will influence the town’s growth for the next 20 years, only to have the work eaten up by a computer crash.

Armenta explained sometime after the Nov. 30 meeting, his computer went down, wiping away any changes made at the last meeting.

For this reason, the committee was forced to go through the previous draft Tuesday night making the same changes all over again.

No bother though, the committee was fine making the changes because it had a few more to add.

One of the major changes is adding an additional 12 square miles to every town map since the town annexed more land from the U.S. Forest Service. In addition, the committee added a proposed road to connect Cornerstone Way north to Payson.

Although the change would mean increased connectivity between the two towns, the committee was quick to point out no lines have been drawn in stone, so neighbors should not be concerned a roadway will soon be heading through their back yard.

An engineer would need to determine feasibility of a road in such an area first, the committee said. The committee did knock out proposed plans to connect Rolloff Lane to Highway 260 and Moonlight Drive to Union Park.

In the circulation chapter, the group also took mention of paving roads out of the draft since the town recently completed paving most town-owned roads.

Specific mention of ATV trails was also eliminated from the chapter after concerned residents worried the town would establish ATV routes through the Knolls. The general plan now makes mention of constructing an ATV trail, just not specifically where it would go.

After the meeting, Armenta said he expects to finalize the draft and e-mail it committee members in two weeks.