Comments or questions about anything related to living in the Avenues? Email 2024 GACC Chair Joseph "Jurphy" Murphy at .

 The April Community Meeting of the Greater Avenues Community Council was held Wednesday, April 3rd. The meeting minutes and the link to the Zoom recording will be posted here soon. 

 The April Board Meeting of the Greater Avenues Community Council was held Wednesday, April 10th. The meeting minutes and the link to the Zoom recording will be posted here soon. 

 The March General Community Meeting of the Greater Avenues Community Council was held on Wednesday, March 6th. The meeting was recorded and can be seen here March 6th Mtg using Passcode: 9K2ma?rU. The meeting minutes will be posted here soon.  The March community newsletter, The Agenda, can be seen HERE 

See the GACC's Resolution thanking Scott Anderson, President and CEO of Zions Bank, on his April 1 retirement HERE. 

The Salt Lake Marathon is April 20th!  See the informational slideshow HERE.

The Avenues Community will be manning the water station on Bonneville Drive at the salt pavilion just north of 11th Avenue and B Street, our 5th year of volunteering at the marathon!  We need about 20 volunteers. You need to sign up online ASAP. Just go to https://runsignup.com/. That will bring you to the volunteer site. Under the green banner click on Find Your Category. Look down on the list to Course and click on it. That will take you directly to Water Station Volunteers. Click on the green Volunteer button. Then just follow the prompts. Be sure to list GACC B-3 in the box that says, “Which group are you a part of?”  You’ll get a nice T-Shirt so be sure to list the size you’d like. 

 There will be road closures in the Avenues on Saturday, April 20 during the morning for the marathon. See more at https://saltlakecitymarathon.com/

 UTA Changes - Asking for Public Comments - UTA is holding a public comment period regarding proposed changes which would be effective August 2024. More information is available on UTA’s website at rideuta.com/ChangeDay. UTA is seeking public input through the end of March on proposed changes, including feedback and information about how UTA can support riders by better understanding the impact of these changes on community members. An overview of UTA’s proposed changes include:

• FAREPAY Card changes that would benefit frequent riders by having a maximum per-day and per-week charge
• Reduced Fare prog ram changes that would increase income-based eligibility
• UVX sunset of the Zero Fare program on the rapid bus service in Orem/Provo, begin charging regular fare
• Maintaining current frequency on three bus routes (Routes 39, 201, 218)

For a complete list of the proposed changes, more information, as well as opportunities to provide comments, please visit rideuta.com/ChangeDay. 

  The University of Utah will be hosting a concert on Saturday April 13th in the Rice Eccles Stadium parking lot beginning at 2 p.m. and ending before midnight. There will be transportation impacts in the area: Parking impacts to the West Stadium Parking Lot will begin Thursday, April 11, and continue through Sunday, April 14. The north half of the parking lot will be closed April 12 and 14 for setup and tear down of the event. Notice signs will be placed at each entrance of the parking lot one week prior to notify motorists. Beginning April 13 at 6 a.m., the far (north) westbound lane on 500 South will be closed from Guardsman Way to 1300 East. The north and south sidewalks along 500 South will remain open to pedestrians and cyclists. The closed lane will reopen following the egress of the concert.This event will have zero impacts on UTA TRAX, other than additional riders.The permits required for these road closures were issued by the Salt Lake City Department of Public Services and the Utah Department of Transportation. For more information about the permits obtained, contact SLC Special Events Permits at 801-535-6105 and UDOT Special Events Permits at 801-975-4900. Noise and lights: On the event day, residents in surrounding communities can expect loud noises associated with concerts, such as music, crowds cheering, announcer speaking, and more. Residents may also notice bright illuminations coming from the stadium, stage, and possibly other areas. However, the increased sound level and bright lights will subside when the event ends. Public safety: There will be an increased police presence during the event to direct traffic at all major thoroughfares surrounding Rice-Eccles Stadium. In addition, police will be in and around the stadium during the event, then back out into the surrounding areas to direct traffic as the event ends. They will be responsible for all traffic and the public safety of the guests, staff, and neighbors before, during, and after the event.  If you are interested in attending the NOFX concert, you can purchase tickets HERE.  Contact Rice-Eccles Stadium at 801-581-5445 with any questions or comments.

 The March General Community Meeting of the Greater Avenues Community Council was held on Wednesday, March 6th. The meeting was recorded and can be seen here March 6th Mtg using Passcode: 9K2ma?rU. The meeting minutes will be posted here soon.  The March community newsletter, The Agenda, can be seen HERE 

 GACC Board of Directors March meeting was held Wednesday, March 13. The meeting was recorded and the recording link and meeting minutes will be posted here soon.

 The February general community meeting of the Greater Avenues Community Council was held on Wednesday, February 6th. The meeting was recorded and can be seen HERE using Passcode:^@Ltee9%>.  The meeting minutes will be posted here soon.  See the February Avenues community newsletter The Agenda HERE

 The January general community meeting of the Greater Avenues Community Council was held on Wednesday, January 3rd. The meeting was recorded and can be seen HERE using Passcode: 9GzRbD$B.  The meeting minutes will be posted here soon.  See the January Avenues community newsletter The Agenda HERE

 Avenues Street Fair September 14 - Our first Planning Meeting was held March 9th. We selected Renae Cannon as our 2024 Featured Artist. See her work at https://www.instagram.com/renaecannonart/.  The next planning meeting will be Saturday, April 6th at 10:00 a.m. at the Avenues library. Anyone interested in helping plan the Avenues Street Fair, plan to attend the April 6th meeting or email our Street Fair Chair Daniel Sowards at .  Visit https://avenuesstreetfair.org/ for more information. 

2nd + 2nd Coalition Unsheltered Movie Nights - The 2nd and 2nd Coalition is a multi-organizational coalition that includes First United Methodist Church, Unsheltered Utah, OurUnsheltered Relatives (OURs), and other groups working to keep our unsheltered friends warm and safe on especially cold nights in Salt Lake City. This is an all-volunteer operation on extremely cold nights for our unsheltered neighbors to stay warm, eat delicious food, and watch movies. Location: First United Methodist Church, 203 South 200 East, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84111-2437. Contact Merinda Cutler, 512-289-2010, , or visit bit.ly/2and2movienights23. Volunteers can sign up at HERE CASH DONATIONS: We purchase food and supplies each night as needed with your cash donations, which you can give through Venmo (@Unsheltered-Utah) or PayPal (@UnshelteredUtah).We can accept donations of blankets, adult winter coats, hats, gloves, warm socks, waterproof adult shoes, sleeping bags, tents, hand warmers. You may drop medical, travel hygiene, fuel, adult winter wear donations, etc. during business hours at Brickyard Kennel, 1221 E 3300 S, Millcreek, UT. Thank you for helping the unsheltered. 

SLC GREEN TEAM - AIR QUALITY SURVEY - Salt Lake City is taking action to support air quality and to reduce pollution across the community.  Help us set our City's official Climate and Air Quality Priorities by taking the Air Quality and Climate survey HERE  

Learn more about the City's air quality and climate change efforts at https://www.slc.gov/sustainability/air-quality/.    We have also also created an email list for people who want to receive updates on the process and be informed of how we are incorporating community feedback into final decision making.

  Stay Informed: https://www.keepitpurecitycreek.com/faq  Even with the cold and snow the City Creek Canyon Water Treatment Plant is still under construction. Mechanical, electrical and structural modifications are underway. Mondays through Fridays we ask that you please stay safe while using the canyon trails, do not cross onto the road as construction equipment will continue to be transported throughout the canyon. During weekends and holidays, do not go past Site #16, there might not be vehicles moving, but it is an active construction zone with hazards. Text "CCWTP" to 833-271-7589 to opt-in for text updates, call 801-616-3336, or visit tinyurl.com/CCWTPSignUp. Visit www.keepitpurecitycreek.com. Thank you for your patience and partnership as we continue to Keep It Pure and upgrade our drinking water treatment facility!

 The Salt Lake City School District Board has voted to close four elementary schools at the end of the 2023-2024 school year. These are Hawthorne Elementary, Mary W. Jackson Elementary, M. Lynn Bennion Elementary, and Riley Elementary.   The Board also voted to adjust school boundaries at 14 elementary schools including Ensign Elementary and Wasatch Elementary in the Avenues.  The locations of the District's Spanish Immersion and Magnet Gifted and Talented programs will also be affected. Please visit our website for more detailed information on the placement of district programs and the transportation options for students enrolled in these programs. Contact Boundaries and Planning Director Brian Conley, at  or (801) 578-8293. What’s most important are the day to day experiences of our students.

To create new and welcoming school communities as many students transition to a new school for the 2024-25 school year, the District is holding Open Houses.   Ensign Elementary - Wednesday, January 17, 2024 5:30 tp 7pm.  School tours every Friday at 10:30 a.m.   Wasatch Elementary - New Student Tours Tuesday, January 23 and Wednesday, January 31, 10 a.m.; School Tour for all Wednesday Jan 31 from 5 to 5:45pm.  see Flyer HERE

Any questions or ideas about our public schools? I care about your feedback so please feel free to send me a message any time — . See the district's social media presence at Facebook | Instagram | Twitter   

 Great Salt Lake License Plate Now Available - Here's your chance to make a tangible difference and show your love for the majestic Great Salt Lake. Our Avenues Senate District 9 Senator Jen Plumb has sponsored S.B. 92 which was passed in 2023 and created the new license plate which is available for ORDERS now. 

Upcoming Community Events:

With an often crazy hat, a warm smile and welcome greeting, this Salt Laker spreads positivity daily from the Avenues Smith's self-checkout aisle. Thank you Ted for making the Avenues a better place! See the KSL article on Ted here: Avenues Smith's Ted Spreads Cheer. Photos by Megan Nielsen, Deseret News. Art by Mark Walton, www.markwaltonart.com. 

 Our Mayor's Community Liasion Alicia De León is available at any time for appointments and community conversations, questions for the Mayor or help with City related issues,   navigating the City or its website. If you are a business, non-profit, or other community gathering place interested in hosting the Mayor's community liaison team for a public meeting, please reach out to Alicia at , 385-454-3824 (Hablo español) 

2024 Virginia Street Reconstruction - Design Announced - The final design concept is now available at https://www.slc.gov/mystreet/virginia. Construction is expected to start in early 2024. Email  to be added to the project email list for construction updates. The scope of the project will be from South Temple to 11th Avenue and will include continuous sidewalks on the west side, uphill bike lanes, traffic calming elements, improved bus stops, and intersection safety improvements.

 Salt Lake City Transportation announces the final draft of the Citywide Transportation Plan, which seeks to create a governing set of policies to shape roadway projects in Salt Lake City for the next two decades. This plan update is required to go before the Planning Commission for a recommendation then to the City Council for a final decision. Both bodies will hold public hearings, and will use these criteria for making their recommendation: 1. Whether the plan update is consistent with the purposes, goals, objectives, and policies of the City as stated through its various adopted planning documents; and 2. The extent to which the proposed plan implements best current, professional practices of urban planning and design.  A 45-day comment period has been opened and residents may comment via email to or by mail to Joe Taylor, Salt Lake City Transportation Division, 349 South 200 East Suite 150, SLC UT 84111. 

Foothills Natural Area Trail System – The Salt Lake City Public Lands Department is committed to receiving ongoing feedback from the Greater Avenues residents regarding the Foothills. We are consistently updating our website to include accurate and helpful information on the evaluation of the Trails Plan, trail maintenance projects, reports from the Foothills Rangers, trail descriptions and maps, SLC Be WILD etiquette program, as well as Foothills-related projects like the trailhead construction projects, the Rocky Mountain Power Wildfire Mitigation project, and the I-Street Bike Park Management Plan project. Please visit www.SLCTrails.com to find links and helpful information to all of these projects and/or contact Recreational Trails Manager, Tyler Fonarow, at  with any questions or comments or to schedule a phone discussion.  

  Managing Wildfire Risks in the Avenues - see the GACC Wildfire webpage HERE ALWAYS USE FIRE SENSE - even in winter! Fire sense is common sense. The trick is just using it. We all know that heat or sparks plus dry grass and brush equals a whole lot of trouble.  Here are two web sites that give practical tips on creating defensible space around our homes: https://utahfiresense.org/ and https://utahfireinfo.gov/

 Salt Lake City’s Urban Forest, containing over 90,000 trees growing along city streets and in parks and natural areas, is a legacy from the first residents of Salt Lake City to those who live and visit here today. The first visitors and residents of this valley found a harsh and arid landscape and planted and cared for trees to improve their environment. Since then, the generations that have come after have enjoyed the lasting benefits of an established urban forest. From cooling shade to inspiring beauty, Salt Lake City’s urban tree canopy cleans our air, quiets urban noise, and calms not only our valley winds, but our minds as well. Learn more at: Urban Forestry | Public Lands Department (slc.gov) 

   SLC Park Strip, Landscape Policy Changes -   Public comments are being taken by the Salt Lake City Planning Division and Planning Commission as they consider city-wide changes to the Landscaping Chapter of the Zoning Code. This includes proposed revision of the Park Strip ordinance under which many city residents have been penalized for their water conservation efforts.   The proposed Park Strip policy revision would require one "street tree" every 30 feet and vegetation covering at least 30% of the area.  See all proposed amendments HERE. The Planning Commission will consider landscape/park strip ordinance changes at its April 26 meeting.  Public comments can be submitted in-person or via email to Nan Larsen at .  Reference case number PLNPCM2023-00098 in the subject line. The agenda for next Wednesday's (April 26) Planning Commission meeting is HEREThe Planning Commission's recommendations will then be presented to the City Council for final approval.

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