SHERIDAN — After multiple attempts to establish a zoning ordinance over the years, Sheridan, a quiet town located in the Ruby Valley, is one step closer to creating an ordinance. Some locals are concerned about how the new plan will impact a local park.
"I went to work one morning, and I came back, and the trees were gone, equipment was gone. I didn’t know anything about them taking anything out," Sheridan resident Shawna Van Houten said.
Pictured: Shawna Van Houten at Log Cabin Park where the large trees have suddenly been removed
Van Houten has lived across the street from the Log Cabin Park located in the middle of Sheridan for 20 years. Her grandson stands by her side with a fist full of turkey vulture feathers. Van Houten said she was devastated when the city recently removed large trees that provided a roosting place for a protected bird species.
"We would sit across the street at night with, you know, just the family and we’d watch the turkey vultures roost in the trees like with their wings all spread out, " said Van Houten. .
Since removal of the trees, Van Houten hasn’t seen the birds back in town, but her concern has been shifted to the landscape after the small park has been designated as a high-density residential space on a draft zoning ordinance.
At a recent town council meeting Van Houten stands before a room of about two dozen people and asks why the park across the street from her home, one of the five open spaces in town, is the one designated to be rezoned.
"That was an area that was identified as part of the Madison County Affordable Housing Advisory Board as a potential option," Jan Bowey, a town councilwoman, said.
WATCH: Zoning planning for Sheridan
Bowey says the Log Cabin Park is the closest green space to amenities like the grocery store. It is also part of the town’s sewer and water system that could cut down on building costs for homeowners.
"We’ve been looking very closely at some affordable housing options – I should say probably more affordable housing – whether we can get to it as truly affordable with the current demand for land prices we don’t know," says Bowey.
Two council members and the town’s mayor took public comments and voted to approve the first reading of the zoning ordinance.
A second reading will take place October 21st.
Van Houten and others are planning a potluck a the park on Oct. 10th from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Log Cabin Park.
