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Rexburg council adopts code change allowing regulated sky bridges across public streets
Summary
Council approved Ordinance 1340 to amend the development code to allow sky bridges over city streets under a conditional‑use permit with clearance, width, glazing and runoff controls; council suspended rules and passed the ordinance the same night.
The Rexburg City Council on Tuesday approved an amendment to the city development code that allows sky bridges to span public streets under defined conditions and after a conditional‑use permit (CUP) review.
Planning staff introduced the change and said they had researched other cities’ approaches. "We’ve actually studied other cities that do sky bridges," said Alan Parkinson, the staff member who presented the draft code language. Parkinson said staff would use a right‑of‑use agreement similar to Boise’s and require protections to allow the city to revoke any encroachment that violates the terms.
Under the adopted ordinance the minimum horizontal clearance over streets will meet equipment‑clearance standards (about 16 feet, 6 inches in the draft), and sky bridges must be between 8 and 14 feet wide, use safety glazing to mitigate falling glass, include rain/snow containment features and prohibit advertising signage. Each sky‑bridge application will come before the council as a CUP so decision makers can evaluate compatibility with the surrounding land uses.
"We asked that it be a CUP, so it would be brought in front of you for every single one of those," Parkinson said, describing review safeguards the code adds.
Council voted to suspend the rules to consider the ordinance on third reading the same evening and then approved Ordinance 13‑40 on third reading.
City staff said the primary near‑term impetus for the code change was a developer’s two‑building project that proposed an enclosed connection across a city street to provide safer, weather‑protected passage for students and residents.
The ordinance establishes review standards and limits intended to balance connectivity benefits with public safety and control of the public right of way.
