Planning commission recommends Sheridan Transportation Master Plan to city council

The Sheridan City Planning Commission voted to recommend that the city council adopt Resolution 05-26, the Sheridan Transportation Master Plan, after a presentation and extended discussion on Feb. 23.

City Engineer Moreno presented the updated draft and the accompanying resolution, telling commissioners the plan catalogs 54 conceptual transportation projects developed through a two-year steering‑committee and public process that began in April 2024. Moreno said consultants made late changes to appendices C and D to incorporate public comment materials and the most recent aerial imagery; those appendix updates were shared with commissioners via a last-minute link.

“This was brought to you two weeks ago as a study item, and tonight I’m bringing forward the same documents along with the resolution,” Moreno said, adding that the appendix changes clarify where public comments came from and improve the project list and maps.

Moreno said the city received 18 public comments during the draft period: five opposed the Bluebird Lane project, seven opposed an Airport Road project, two opposed the West Corridor and one comment supported the West Corridor. He emphasized that most projects are conceptual and would require separate right‑of‑way acquisition and public processes before any construction.

Commissioners pressed staff on several specifics during the question-and-answer period. One commissioner asked that letters and comment cards placed in Appendix C include dates so readers can tell whether public input was recent; Moreno said he would work with the consultant to add those dates. Commissioners also debated how projects had been prioritized in the draft, with questions about why a Fort Road grade‑separation project was ranked ahead of previously studied options for a 5th Street crossing.

Moreno said the consultant prioritized Fort Road because it appeared more buildable and would have fewer impacts on fully developed areas, while 5th Street has presented recurring complexity in past studies: “It’s not that it hasn’t been considered. It just hasn’t had the appropriate momentum and has had quite a bit of backlash and concerns,” he said, noting that railroad ownership and right‑of‑way nuances add complexity to separation projects.

Commission discussion also covered the role of the capital improvement program (CIP) in future prioritization. Staff told the commission that project rankings in the master plan represent a first-pass technical prioritization that can and should be revisited when the CIP is updated; the city intends to budget for a CIP update in the upcoming fiscal year and could award a consultant in the fall, with adoption of a revised CIP expected in spring 2027 if funded.

Following discussion, a commissioner moved and the commission seconded a motion to forward a positive recommendation on Resolution 05-26 to city council. The commission voted in favor; the chair declared the motion passed and said staff will take the recommendation to the governing body next week.

Next steps: staff will work with the consultant on the requested appendix clarifications and will forward the commission’s recommendation to the city council for action on the resolution.