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Public hearing on Royal City parking revision Oct. 5

CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years, 6 months AGO
by CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | September 15, 2021 1:00 AM

ROYAL CITY — The Royal City City Council will hold a public hearing Oct. 5 on a proposal to eliminate parking on the north side of Poplar Street Northeast.

The proposal follows development of additional housing on Poplar Street, and more traffic as a result.

City finance director Shilo Christensen said improvements made as part of the Hargraves Street Development also affected traffic on Poplar.

The Reino Del Cielo Apartments are on the south side of Poplar, and the Hargraves Street Development is on the north side. Developers added sidewalks to the north side of Poplar Street as part of the Hargraves project. Effectively the sidewalk narrowed the street, he said, although it’s still wide enough for two cars to pass.

“It (Poplar Street) is not as wide as it used to be,” Christensen said.

That prompted a series of discussions at council meetings of the options for Poplar Street, including one at the Sept. 7 meeting. Council members decided to pursue parking revisions on the street, with the public hearing as the first step. If public reaction is positive, the council would consider a traffic revision ordinance at a subsequent meeting.

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