City officials, North Sidney residents eye the future

North Sidney is in the midst of a major cosmetic improvements, and Tuesday night, residents got a chance to get in on the discussion.

A crowd of about 35 gathered at North Elementary School cafeteria for a North Sidney Town Hall Meeting, and numerous city officials were on hand to share information and field questions from concerned citizens.

Gary Person, Sidney City Manager, emceed the event, which featured discussion of housing issues, the North Sidney Street Project, public transportation, police response, Cabela’s Downtown Corporate Development Project, and passage of the half-cent sales tax.

Nancy Bentley, executive director of Sidney Housing Authority, explained Phase I of the Sioux Villa-Western Herotage project, which would include the construction of 10 new units at Western Heritage and 10 at Sioux Villa on current vacant property owned by the Housing Authority.

“This is a very ambitious project,” Bentley explained. “Of the 20 units, four would be handicap-accessible.”

Sioux Villa apartments would be market-rate, whereas Western Heritage would fall under income-based restrictions.

Bentley said the playground would be divided into several small areas of common gardens, in different locations within the complex.

Phase II would encompass demolition and replacement of existing two-, three- and four-bedroom units and garages at Sioux Villa, which were built in 1942.

Those affected by the project would be allowed vouchers to return once the project was finished, adding that those residents would be found alternate housing.

“We wouldn’t be kicking those people to the street,” Bentley added.

The other big-ticket item for the citizens is certainly the street improvement project, which was approved by voters in a 2007 economic development funding initiative, which allocates $50,000 per year towards the project.

Sidney was one of four communities among 42 project applicants that were approved for Community Development Building Grant funding of $350,000, according to Person.

The city is contributing $176,000 to the project. Rounding out the project is a further city contribution of $474,000, of which $450,000 will come from the funding initiative.

“After three surveys and two town hall meetings the overriding consensus was this is where the residents wanted the money to go,” Person said.

Sidney Public Services Director John Hehnke told those in attendance that the total tab on the street project is $850,000, and that the work would begin sometime late in the construction season of next year.

Henke said that North Side streets, sidewalks, storm drain inlets, curbs and gutters all have endured deterioration from age, wear and tear, and that those would be addressed during the project.

Hehnke said that due an issue with Low and Moderate Income guidelines, the project would be limited to improvements on Forrest Street from 14th Avenue to 17th Avenue, and the connector on 17th Avenue from Elm Street to Forrest.

Hehnke said the North Elementary area did not qualify as a neighborhood school because the school takes in students around the community with varying incomes, that did not meet LMI specifications.

Therefore, the project would only entail improvements on Forrest Street from 14th Avenue to 17th Avenue, and the connector on 17th Avenue from Elm Street to Forrest.

Residents affected by the work would have to likely park on sides streets for “about to two three weeks,” Henke explained.

City police chief Mike Brown, who answered numerous questions about his department’s responses to suspicious situations in the area, said that patrols will be beefed up during the construction period.

The Cabela’s project will add an additional lane of traffic coming off 13th Ave. from the north, and a new signal, pending state approval, will add a left-hand turn light for those driving into downtown Sidney from the North.

Person went into detail about various economic projects that will create a $111 impact on the city, including Cabela’s, the Bell Lumber and Pole Co., Sidney Regional Medical Center’s plans on constructing a new facility, plus the Cabela’s purchase of new housing property and the Prairie Winds apartment construction.

Citizens had questions on other potential projects, to which officials addressed.

Mayor Wendall Gaston told those in attendance that the city is doing what it can, with what resources and funding it can muster.

“City government sometimes works very slowly, but I want you to know that we do listen and we do work on (citizens’ concerns),” Gaston said.