Comments or questions about anything related to living in the Avenues? Email 2023 GACC Chair Merrilee Morgan at . 

The April 2023 issue of the Greater Avenues Community Council newsletter can be seen HERE

 The Salt Lake Marathon course is set for April 22nd!

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - March 3, 2023    Contact: Molly Farmer  801-707-5217 –  -  Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall issued a temporary order Thursday requiring dogs to be on leash in Parley’s Historic Nature Park due to a herd of elk currently residing in the park. The order states that the presence of off-leash dogs is disturbing the elk herd, creating safety and health concerns for the animals and people, and that dogs must remain on-leash as a result.  In recent weeks, dozens of elk have actively wintered in the park after migrating down from the foothills due to above-average snowfall. Park users are encouraged to use caution and keep a safe distance from wildlife. All dogs are prohibited on the South Loop Trail and other protected areas within Parley's Historic Nature Park Per city ordinance 15.10.060.  This is the third emergency order the Mayor has issued under the Arctic Temperatures Local Emergency, which was signed on Dec. 20, 2022. The first order waived certain City ordinances for overnight, overflow, homeless shelter bed caps in the City. The second order was signed on Jan. 17, 2023, and allowed for emergency overflow shelter beds in County-owned facilities in certain circumstances. All three orders will remain in effect for the length of the Arctic Temperatures Local Emergency, which is currently set to end April 30, 2023. 

 The March 2023 community meeting of the GACC was held on Wednesday March 1st. The Zoom recoding may be seen at March 1st MtgUsing passcode u5?1bXhB

 The February 2023 community meeting of the GACC was held on Wednesday, Feburary 1st.  The Zoom recording can be seen at Feb 1 Mtg using Passcode S9ia2g%7. The February online newsletter of the GACC is HERE.

 The January 2023 community meeting of the GACC was held on Wednesday, January 4th from 6 to 8pm.  The Zoom recording can be seen at JAN 4TH MTG using Passcode: u5^5Xf1C. The January online newsletter of the GACC is HERE 

The Salt Lake City Transportation team would like to extend our gratitude to those who took the time to engage with us on the 2024 Virginia Street Reconstruction design concept. The final design concept is now available on the project webpage (https://www.slc.gov/mystreet/virginia). Over the next few months, we will be working closely with our colleagues in the Engineering Division to complete the roadway design. We will provide periodic updates on the webpage and at the GACC meetings. Construction is expected in 2024 and we will know more about temporary construction impacts in early 2024. Please feel free to email us at  if you have any  questions.

HOUSING SLC: AN UPDATE TO SALT LAKE CITY'S FIVE-YEAR HOUSING PLAN

Salt Lake City is creating a new housing plan. Based on feedback collected throughout 2022, the City has drafted a plan that seeks to address the concerns around housing affordability that were heard throughout the engagement period. A draft plan is now available, and the City is seeking public feedback on the plan that we have put together. The public comment period will run for 45 days.

Learn More & Share Your Feedback!

For comments or questions, please contact: Ruedigar Matthes //  or  

Official Call for Artists: Foothills Trailheads Bike Rack Murals - Interested artists have until March 23rd  submit their applications. See more at https://saltlakepublicart.org/foothills-trailheads-bike-rack-murals Artist selection and design feedback sessions will be on Wednesday April 5th from 5:00 – 7:00 pm, and on Wednesday May 3rd from 5 to 7. These will be hybrid meetings held at the Art Barn (54 Finch Ln) with an option to attend online.  

Utah House Bill 527 sponsored by Rep. Keven Stratton, R-Orem, HB 527, would allow mining and gravel pits to be placed virtually anywhere in the state; in the middle of cities, neighborhoods, critical watersheds, priceless natural vistas, including our Wasatch Mountains. The bill would eliminate the authority of local governments to prevent these projects anywhere in mheir jurisdictions.  The bill will be heard by the House Natural Resources Committee early next week. Call, text or email Representatives on the committee before the hearing. Their contact information:

• Rep. Keven J. Stratton (Bill Sponsor) 801-836-6010
• Rep. Walt Brooks 435-817-3530
• Rep. Steven J. Lund 385-358-3267
• Rep. Gay Lynn Bennion  385-224-9197
• Rep. Bridger Bolinder 435-255-3093
• Rep. Scott H. Chew  435-630-0221
• Rep. Tim Jimenez  801-560-8061
• Rep. Michael L. Kohler  801-420-6158
• Rep. Doug Owens  385-499-3761
• Rep. Thomas W. Peterson 435-720-3516
• Rep. Mike Schultz  801-859-7713
• Rep. Rex P. Shipp  435-590-1073
• Rep. Casey Snider 435-770-4081
• Rep. Christine F. Watkins 435-650-1969

Their emails are:               

The Salt Lake City Council is reviewing an Urban Forest Action Plan. If approved, the plan would provide Salt Lake City with a long-term strategy to expand and preserve trees in SLC, on both public and private property. A public hearing will be held at the upcoming City Council meeting on February 21st at 7:00 p.m.  Visit the Council’s agenda page to confirm the date and time.  If anyone cannot attend the public hearing and would still like to provide input, comments can be shared online here, or by   mailing , or by calling our 24/hr comment line 801-535-7654.

Salt Lake City is launching its first-ever Food Equity Microgrant Program to increase resident access to fresh, healthy, affordable, and culturally relevant food. The grant is open to both individuals and organizations to support local food production and other efforts to increase food equity.  Applications will be accepted until March 5th, 2023. Contact the Food & Equity Program Manager, Maria Schwarz at  or call 385-271-7220. The Home Food Production Grant provides $250 for individual residents to build and establish their own gardens, chicken coops, beehives, hoop houses, etc., and/or take educational classes and workshops on gardening. The Community Grants provide up to $5,000 for community groups, organizations, or small businesses. You can use any of the information on the website or from our recent press release.

  Nonconforming Signs Ordinance Amendment -  The city is proposing to amend the Nonconforming Signs Zoning Ordinance to permitted modifications to and maintenance of signs that do not conform with the zoning code.  The Planning Department is inviting Public Comment now through March 23rd.  See more at the online open house HERE The Planning Division will evaluate the proposed ordinance amendment language against the applicable zoning standards, taking into consideration public comments, and will develop a recommendation for the Planning Commission. Katilynn Harris, Principal Planner //  // 801.535.6179.

UTA Community Engagement team  is evaluating how they collect and use input from the public to improve public transit in the Salt Lake area.   They are planning two upcoming workshops that will explore in more detail how riders and citizens would ideally like to be involved in the UTA’s public input processes, especially around Change Day. If you are interested in participating in one of the workshops, please click on the link shown here:  https://forms.gle/kdezp5H9WSYedqDJ9 

 The Community Outreach Team from Mayor Erin Mendenhall’s Office holds monthly community office hours in locations citywide. Those with questions or feedback about the City can drop in on a first come first serve basis. The Mayor's Outreach Tema will be at the Corinne & Jack Sweet Branch Library (455 E. F Street) on Thursday, Feb. 23rd from 12-2pm.

See all of Salt Lake City's projects that are availalbe for community feedback here: https://www.slc.gov/feedback/

 Applications open now for community improvement projects!   https://slc-avenues.org/our-neighborhood/avenues-grants

   An update on this year's legislative session and efforts being made towards the Great Salt Lake can be seen HERE  Bills being conisdered by the Utah Legislature can be seen HERE. Art by Sara Bench www.sarabench.com.   An article about House Bill 491 is HERE.

 Avenues Recycling Tip for February by Shannon Macmillan: Visit earth911.com and Call2Recycle.org, both sites have tools to help locate recycling drop-off points for hard to recycle items. The Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM) has collection events; visit https://utahrecyclingalliance.org/charms/.   Used batteries made from lithium are considered hazardous waste and should not be disposed of in the trash. The Home Depot and Lowe’s accept used lithium batteries.  By comparison, batteries that are designed to be used once, such as disposable alkaline AA batteries, aren’t quite as dangerous but can still be recycled. Store used batteries until collection events in a secure container such as a clear plastic upcycled bottle that keeps them lined up side-by-side, so the contact points can’t touch each other or brush up against anything that’s metallic or conductive to create a spark and potential fire. Alternatively, tape over the ends to prevent contact with other battery ends.  

The United States EPA is reviewing the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter. This is a once in a generation opportunity to help improve Utah's air quality. There are currently two federal Particulate Matter standards: 1) Annually averaged and 2) 24-hr averaged.  In UT we meet the annual avg since most of the yr we have low Particulate Matter, but for over a decade Utah has exceeded the 24hr PM2.5 during winter inversion episodes.They need to hear from concerned Utahns! Read more and comment until March 28th at EPA PUBLIC COMMENT See also the State of Utah's efforts at Utah Department of Environmental Quality. 

For questions on recycling, ways to reduce household waste, or clarification on this topic, please contact  .   

 Salt Lake City will be reconstructing Virginia Street from South Temple to 11th Avenue in 2024 and the Transportation Division has prepared a draft design concept. We encourage you to visit the webpage at www.slc.gov/mystreet/virginia to review the draft concept and leave your comments. The comment period will close in a few weeks, so please plan on getting us your comments soon. Thank you, Keegan Galloro, Transportation Planner.

City Creek Water Treatment Plant Update - Construction on step one of the upgrade project began in mid-November 2022.  Be alert for access restrictions during construction. This is a three year project, with an estimated completion date of December, 2025. Find out more about the project these ways: Text "CCWTP" to 833-271-7589 to receive text alerts about City Creek Canyon access during construction.  Call the project hotline at 801-616-3336 to speak with a project team member. Email  to submit questions or comments on the project.  Visit our website at https://www.keepitpurecitycreek.com/

See the most recent Salt Lake City Public Lands monthly Trails update HERE

GACC MEETING TIMES UPDATE:  The Greater Avenues Community Council general community meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month at the Sweet Library, 455 F Street. The library is currently closing at 8:00 p.m., so our monthly meetings are now scheduled from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Virtual attendance is also available on Zoom. Links to attend virtually are posted on this website after 5:00 pm on the day of the meeting.  Any resident of the Avenues, any owner of a business or property located in the Avenues is a member of the Greater Avenues Community Council, and all members aged 16 or over are allowed to vote on any motion that is made at one of our meetings.  See the GACC Mission Statement and Bylaws HERE Comments or questions about anything related to living in the Avenues? Email 2023 GACC Chair Merrilee Morgan at .