The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing and consider recommending changes to the City’s Subdivision Ordinance at its July 13th meeting. Sounds like an exciting topic, doesn’t it? Of course not! But it is. It contains two particularly important changes. One change addresses the City’s ability to control development. The other change gives the City some flexibility over water concerns.
Wrestling with the State
At a recent Planning Commission meeting City Manager Dale Coulam explained that the State has now eliminated the ability for cities to regulate many building design elements for one- and two-family homes. Ivins can still regulate design elements for townhomes, multifamily and commercial development. And HOAs can regulate design elements, including building color, in their CC&Rs.
Even so, this significantly interferes with cities’ ability to control their own destiny.
But Dale suggested a possible solution. He said the City could change the subdivision ordinance to require development agreements for all new subdivisions. That way the City could still control design requirements. Currently, development agreements are only required when a developer asks for a density bonus.
So, the Planning Commission will hold a public hearing and consider recommending a change to the Subdivision Ordinance at its July 13th meeting. The change Dale proposes would require all subdivision applications enter into a Development Agreement with the City. Among other things, the Development Agreement can require the development to follow current design guidelines.
Thanks to Dale’s creativity, this is a good solution to a bad problem that should never have happened. The State was wrong to take control away from cities. Ivins is not Santa Clara, or Hurricane, or Springdale. Each city has its own unique character. And that is a good thing. This would take control back from the State for most new development. And, significantly, Ivins is doing this quickly. We just lost control at the beginning of July, and we could get it back in a couple of weeks. Let’s hope the State does not try to fight this. Shame on them if they did.
Wrestling with Mother Nature
But wait, there’s more. The second change Dale proposes would include a disclaimer in these Development Agreements for all new subdivisions, saying, “…there may not be sufficient water to serve lots and/or phases in the future and that decision will be made at time of building permit application.”
Here is how I read this sentence. Often, developers come in with a concept plan long before they are ready to submit for their permit. I believe the City takes the position that it is bound to honor that project once the concept plan has been submitted and follow through by issuing a permit as long as the developer is not asking for anything special. But our water situation could change significantly between the initial concept plan and the final permit application. This gives the City flexibility to deal with whatever new information it has.
If the Planning Commission recommends approval of these changes, then hopefully this will be in front of the City Council in a couple of weeks and they will approve the changes. If so, even though this is just one small step on a large water issue, it is a step, so that along with taking back development control deserves a “Bravo Ivins!”
Please share your comments and tell me about other Ivins issues I have not addressed in recent posts. CONTACT ME
Recent “Development” posts
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- Affordable Housing Off Hwy 91?PDF 📄The Utah Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) is looking for development proposals that “offer solutions to solve the housing crisis” on a 40-acre parcel of land in Ivins just off Hwy 91. Proposals must contain a plan to help provide affordable housing with an emphasis on the Governor’s goal of providing single detached homes in…
- Balancing Benefits for Residents & DevelopersPDF 📄When the Hidden Spring RV Resort on Hwy 91 (between Main Street and 200 W) was first proposed years ago, the Planning Commission and City Council crafted thoughtful code requirements to ensure it would truly be a “resort,” not just another RV park. These included landscaping to screen the resort from the road, concrete…
- Finally… A New General PlanPDF 📄 The 2024 Ivins City General Plan was approved in November 2024. It is the primary guiding document and the principal tool to be used to create the future of Ivins. It tells the story of what Ivins was, is and ought to become through thoughtful and careful planning based on the vision, values,…
- Building Permit UpdatePDF 📄Singlefamily permit activity averaged just 62 homes a month in the past twelve months. By comparison, just three years ago singlefamily permits were averaging over 200 homes a month. Multifamily permit activity is another story. And the trend is also misleading. There has been very little “traditional” multifamily permit activity in Ivins in the…
Recent “Water” posts
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- Parched Today, Prepared Tomorrow: The Need for Drought PlanningPDF 📄As we experience the driest water year in at least 42 years, the need for a clear, effective drought contingency plan for Washington County and its cities has never been more urgent. For over three years, the Washington County Water Conservancy District (WCWCD) has been working on a plan, but getting eight cities to…
- Securing Our Water Future: An Evening with Peter AnninPDF 📄Join Peter Annin, author of “Purified” and a leading voice in water recycling and management, for an insightful discussion on how Washington County’s water plans compare to innovative practices across the United States. Discover how these strategies can help shape a sustainable water future for our community. Register now for this FREE event to…
- Low Snow, High Stakes: Water and GrowthPDF 📄Water is the lifeblood of our desert community, and I know many Ivins residents are deeply concerned about its availability as development continues at a seemingly relentless pace across the county. These worries only grow when we see projects that appear to consume water excessively. If you’ve read any of the 47 articles on…
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