Sometimes people get upset on social media about the wrong things. Yes, believe it or not, that’s true. Like when the City approves a “preliminary plan” or a “final plat” for a development. Comments boil down to something like this, “Why would those idiots approve this when we are already overwhelmed with growth, traffic, water issues, and more?”
Here’s why. Property owners are allowed to build whatever Ivins City Code says they can build for the zone they are in. If they “follow the rules” (City Code) they can build.
They don’t need permission from the City Council, Planning Commission, or the public. They do need to submit their preliminary plan to the City’s Technical Review Committee and Planning Commission to verify the plan follows Code. But as long as it does, it must be approved. Same for the final plat. If it matches the approved preliminary plan and meets Code, it must be approved.
I worry that when we get upset about the wrong things, we conclude that the City Council doesn’t listen. That leads to a why bother any more attitude. Then we don’t speak up on issues we can impact, thinking “what’s the point.” What a loss.
There are a lot of situations where the public has the right to speak up and the City Council has the right to decide if something can happen, or under what conditions it will be allowed. These include land use changes, zoning changes, code changes, conditional uses, and changes to development agreements.
For example, I can build an art studio in the Neighborhood Commercial zone and don’t need City Council approval to do it or a public hearing. But if I want to build a restaurant, it would be a conditional use. That means the City Council can impose reasonable conditions to mitigate negative impacts. And there would be a public hearing so residents can explain what negative impacts they are concerned about and offer suggestions for mitigating those impacts.
Here’s something that just happened. The developer of the Hidden Springs RV Resort on Hwy 91 asked for permission to lower their boundary wall along the highway. City Code requires it to be 6 feet high, so the code would have to be changed to allow a lower wall. The Planning Commission held a public hearing and made a recommendation to the City Council. Then the City Council held a public hearing and decided against making a change.
And one more. At an upcoming City Council meeting we will have a public hearing to decide whether to change a development agreement’s parking requirement for the student housing development next to Rocky Vista University. What will residents say? What will the City Council do?
The bottom line: Save your energy for the things you might be able to change. Make your voice matter where it matters.
Please share your comments on this topic and tell me about other Ivins issues I have not addressed in recent posts. Email me at Mike@MikeScott4Ivins.com.