[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6560408,"mediaKeyId","3346666-da5723668738e8f016e3fe5240bd100e","parentId",3346666,"title","Ivins council continues rezoning decision for 800 West/Old Highway 91 after concerns about slopes, land‑use map","audioSeconds",230,"startMs",2983000,"endMs",2753000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3346666-da5723668738e8f016e3fe5240bd100e&start=2983&end=2753","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3346666-da5723668738e8f016e3fe5240bd100e/thumbnail_2983000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6560408/Ivins/Washington-County/Utah/Ivins-council-continues-rezoning-decision-for-800-WestOld-Highway-91-after-concerns-about-slopes-landuse-map","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6560408-18c15b6bfd026afee73647e309a2e418/orig.mp4?Expires=1771199028&Signature=glOcoQDXnLLbpPJCbVwIXZ~CeLqB9F4n81tmLofbYrcKIJA1wSI0WhP0aUDcfrlKmjT22amsIENBNwjxM1GFLKpuVAXxyJtsvx0k-LU2GQbPWFKCO6WcZd~n2QMOn5qdFpkk6iunsRQtxh2aYS840mn3fjOxCO8qSWezksV60uxORh~6BN70mO~PPxNXH3a7jjLmjPpCWQYhMsHVt664G~98y-6nprMQEgMU3h8zhwX2k-2PlZakH9JwVibA1HEAOKfZp1wYM6OxYZ3qAn33l0TvAqtVr98g9uEx~uL6htDE5WbdqfEirdwlRaZFGO9TSmpxBfldGEvKcsFr6aGY2Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Ivins","date","2025-05-15T00:00:00Z","article","The Ivins City Council on Thursday postponed action on Ordinance 2025‑11, a request to change the land‑use designation and zoning for about 10.69 acres near 800 West/Old Highway 91 from a mix of low‑density and high‑density residential to full high‑density residential (R2‑10). The council asked staff to return with engineering analysis of slope and with input from the Sensitive Lands committee before taking a final vote.

The proposal from American Land Consulting and owner Lewis Carnesale would redraw the city’s land‑use map and rezone parcels from RA‑5 and R‑1‑5 to R‑2‑10, allowing two‑family (duplex) configurations on smaller lots. Wayne Pennington, a resident who said he had studied the nearby Dry Wash Reservoir area, told the council the plan “fits with the neighboring property and goals of the city” and called the duplex approach “an excellent approach to meeting the goals of less expensive homes for families.”

Why the council postponed

The council’s deliberations focused less on the applicant’s specific proposal than on where the change would sit within the city’s adopted general plan and on the practical effects of a map change in a sloped area. Councilmember Sharon Gillespie and others said the general plan’s land‑use map — adopted after a lengthy public process — currently shows the parcel as low‑density residential and that piecemeal, applicant‑driven map changes can set precedents that remain tied to the land.

“Part of the land is already HDR and part is LDR,” said one council member, noting the parcel is adjacent to areas already designated for higher density; others said that gave them less pause. City attorney Dale (first name not stated) told the council the decision is legislative and requires findings to support it, and that the planning staff should document those findings if the council wants to approve the change.

Engineering and hillside protection were central concerns. Planning and public‑works staff explained that changing land use from low density to high density can alter the rules that protect slopes: low‑density design often keeps housing spread out to minimize slope disturbance, while HDR zoning can allow denser development that increases the amount of slope subject to disturbance. Council and staff asked for a focused evaluation of how an HDR designation here would affect sensitive‑lands protections and infrastructure.

Council members also discussed the possibility of a development agreement to bind a future developer to particular design or density limits, but the city attorney explained the council cannot impose conditions that would alter what the zoning otherwise allows; a development agreement would have to be entered voluntarily by the applicant.

What the council decided

After discussion the council voted to continue the ordinance to a later meeting and directed staff to provide engineering analysis on slope implications and, if appropriate, a Sensitive Lands committee review. The motion to continue carried with the council's unanimous voice vote.

Context and next steps

Planning staff said the item will return when the requested materials — engineering input on slope impacts and any Sensitive Lands recommendations — are ready, and encouraged the applicant to discuss the options with staff in the meantime. Planning staff noted a public hearing on the Planning Commission’s recommendation already has been held and written comments from an absent councilmember were entered into the record and treated as public comment.

The council’s postponement leaves the existing land‑use designation in place until the council takes further action. Staff said they expect to bring the requested analysis and any Sensitive Lands input back at a future meeting so the council can make documented findings before deciding whether to approve or deny Ordinance 2025‑11.

Ending

Council members emphasized that the pause is intended to ensure the city’s adopted goals about hillside protection and the general plan are preserved while the city evaluates whether the specific rezoning can be reconciled with those goals. The applicant and his representative were invited to meet with staff and to return with further information before the council considers a final vote.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Ivins - City Council - May 15, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Ivins City Council on Thursday postponed action on Ordinance 2025‑11, a request to change the land‑use designation and zoning for about 10.69 acres near 800 West/Old Highway 91, and asked staff to provide slope engineering and Sensitive Lands input before reconsidering the map amendment.","taxTitle","Ivins, Washington County, Utah","taxId",6018,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6560396,"Council approves water‑conservation easement for Vista Estates frontage to qualify for reduced district impact fees",125,6059000,6184000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3346666-da5723668738e8f016e3fe5240bd100e&start=6059&end=6184","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3346666-da5723668738e8f016e3fe5240bd100e/thumbnail_6059000.jpg","/articles/6560396/Ivins/Washington-County/Utah/Council-approves-waterconservation-easement-for-Vista-Estates-frontage-to-qualify-for-reduced-district-impact-fees","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6560396-cf9f64429035035e632febced8b79cee/orig.mp4?Expires=1771199028&Signature=Az0vCB7YxztMIKYA2J1xi~dbYN5PZf0G1ttqLs4DfFBpuMU8gAoB6kZrYWByoPNeu6pM7DeZPe3wEys7kp62GTPbE4hNZM9bSDnM5WiRjmSHdMMdwz5UgW4Z~YaP9CVOaLSZWqAuK-lpWdFfMRv5pupCBbIqktUcdF-vLDt8986VeDFTt9a8XF7QH9Li2DG259pmuEKc2oeCoDc5ZrAYJhWw-zk60AnhwfQRRhNNO99MjuGGDk6kR0foOFRy7UO5YZNw-IrV5ieu6P5FzKxbxZ3rWYAaSye0lpiiUDFnQfe~kfZOF7~rtAg~FJI~CJnFZULvxPY6cshI9DVCcUBEdg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Ivins City Council unanimously approved a water conservation easement for the Vista Estates development along its 200 West frontage, a move staff said is intended to let the developer secure reduced water‑impact fees from the local water district.

Public‑works staff explained the easement covers the landscape strips and confirms those areas will be planted and maintained under low‑water‑use standards. District rules allow a lower impact‑fee calculation for developments that reduce outdoor irrigation demand, and staff described the easement as the administrative step required to make the reduced fee available.

The motion to grant the easement was moved, seconded and passed by voice vote. Staff said the developer will retain maintenance responsibility for the landscaped strips within the easement and the arrangement will be reflected in recorded easement documents.

Ending

City staff noted the easement helps the developer and aligns with Ivins’ water‑conservation goals. The council approved the measure without recorded opposition.","Ivins City approved a water conservation easement along the 200 West frontage for the Vista Estates development, a measure intended to qualify landscape strips for reduced water‑impact fees under the district’s rules.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6560399,"Ivins council signals support to continue yearly arts distributions and backs fundraising to buy roundabout sculpture",932,4269000,5201000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3346666-da5723668738e8f016e3fe5240bd100e&start=4269&end=5201","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3346666-da5723668738e8f016e3fe5240bd100e/thumbnail_4269000.jpg","/articles/6560399/Ivins/Washington-County/Utah/Ivins-council-signals-support-to-continue-yearly-arts-distributions-and-backs-fundraising-to-buy-roundabout-sculpture","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6560399-c982a05b6e148b00eddb707e3cd5f2f4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771199028&Signature=Tdf5jgRXan-y-6gE7-lWHVGW3m-ooHXTyM7D2wDVc45SVficMRdObHbO-4qJEJO8CIgxY6MJ1ZRDjmVqZeBQkKeZJk347oV3A0Xe0zLvZqaVpt411uq1ajr6t4aEWAYo85Vk5fsVly~sIz5mxsqYWaQdNw1dFUtoszrSCd6zJ0JZskBSUeXlaE~HogZbWVfpUOd3VH0jtJscgiZmUpNqmu9jTwE9q1WZ4HkfUCb5l0uK9q072Wgj~MSvi-z1uueuaIJtRxRc0hkHvq05gmCwPjJkboAuN8CNRyFUhBBicv3T6~15xY~HJz51GCzgX9w2hwnegH~UDZJS-U9E480hCQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Ivins City Council on Thursday told the Arts Commission to proceed with a plan to preserve and continue small, automatic annual distributions from the city’s RAP (recreation, arts, parks) tax pool and signaled support for a community fund drive to buy public sculpture currently in the Highway 91 roundabout.

Michelle (last name not stated), speaking for the Arts Commission, asked the council to ratify previous off‑the‑top commitments and to increase two of them to $10,000 annually through the next RAP cycle (through March 31, 2035). The Arts Commission recommended extending and increasing the annual automatic distributions to the Canta/Toquahn Arts Center and to an Ivins Arts Corridor project; the Toquahn Center’s original 20‑year $10,000 annual agreement remained unchanged.

Council members expressed support for maintaining baseline, automatic funding for the local arts organizations. Finance staff confirmed the RAP pool has grown since its inception and the annual fixed commitments would come from the tax pool while continuing to leave funding available for competitive grants and special projects.

On public art in the roundabout

The Arts Commission also asked the council for permission to launch a community fundraising drive to purchase a Lyman Whitaker sculpture that currently sits in the Cuevasa/Highway 91 roundabout and is scheduled to be removed in September under an existing loan agreement. Michelle told the council the purchase price the city would need to raise is about $48,000; the artist has offered credit toward the market value and has included a 10‑year maintenance warranty.

Council members gave general assent — several council members nodded and voiced support during the discussion — and the Arts Commission said it would proceed with a July‑to‑September fundraising campaign. Staff said formal adoption of any change to the RAP allocations would come back as a resolution or ordinance as required by municipal process.

Ending

Council members said they value the arts contributions to city life and supported preserving a baseline of predictable funding for the organizations named by the Arts Commission while still allowing the competitive grant process to fund other projects. The community fundraising effort to purchase the roundabout sculpture will proceed and staff will return with the formal paperwork required to codify any change in the automatic RAP distributions.","The council endorsed the Arts Commission’s recommendation to continue ‘off‑the‑top’ RAP (recreation, arts, parks) allocations to Tuacahn, the Ivins Arts Commission project and the Toquerville/Utah arts entity and agreed to allow an arts‑led fundraiser to try to purchase a Lyman Whitaker sculpture in the Highway 91 roundabout.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6560404,"Ivins staff present updated sewer impact‑fee and rate plan; council asked for more detail before adoption",3013,6225000,9238000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3346666-da5723668738e8f016e3fe5240bd100e&start=6225&end=9238","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3346666-da5723668738e8f016e3fe5240bd100e/thumbnail_6225000.jpg","/articles/6560404/Ivins/Washington-County/Utah/Ivins-staff-present-updated-sewer-impactfee-and-rate-plan-council-asked-for-more-detail-before-adoption","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6560404-74c8a7f79fcbe3f8786be01b9d416f0a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771199028&Signature=HuRr0jpGFPvRnGB80OIWr-r98HJZ~u4vokqhbNobGITbnoYUT7CmNiVVqR0wFXu8FbpiVZISEJRnxM34N0xEC030QlSIEWaZLK6ucioz2LGJnVvAz0OjiRIO7V2jGtZ7hFI0FxJYLR9rD9R2hfqp83o3iJrnlmF3dPCgTHSfuIft3YqeRi6qJPQAgXjXrWR4SbKLpYbwvcD9IOevAcUBM~nOSjzVyoAst-5uHw1FbaS25Py6jzls1AgNjBBgVZB0LpHu7vuZOH~ti~6r2NfecUZIo8~20ci3pp4kRjZ4GX~dtC4EqGEVz1CLUAdoWlY6KFm7C7YXAllhH0G55stF1g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Ivins City staff and consultant representatives presented an updated sewer master plan, a revised impact‑fee analysis and a recommended multi‑year rate path at the council’s May 15 meeting. The presentation outlined capital projects needed to serve future growth, the consultant’s suggested rehabilitation‑and‑replacement (R&R) funding targets and a staged schedule for bonding and rate increases.

Aaron, the consultant, told the council the system replacement value is roughly $100 million and recommended the city phase toward an annual R&R investment in the $500,000–$900,000 range over time. To preserve cash flow for immediate capital projects the consultant recommended phasing the R&R increases rather than funding the full target immediately. The draft assumes a $3 million bond in 2028 to support near‑term capital work tied to the Lower Tukan Wash pipeline and related projects.

Council questions and requested follow up

Council members asked several technical and policy questions. Councilors wanted more detail on:

- How Saint George’s treatment charges feed into Ivins’s monthly billing (the consultant separated the city user rate from the external Saint George treatment fee to aid transparency).
- Whether nonresidential volume charges are properly aligned with cost of service and whether the current practice—a reduced volumetric charge above an initial allotment—should be adjusted. The consultant said other cities apply different approaches and offered to return with comparative analysis and rate alternatives.
- How to phase in an R&R budget without excessive borrowing: the consultant said borrowing to cover projects and reimbursing from future impact fees is common and that the bond helps with cash flow rather than representing a net new long‑term cost beyond debt service.

The draft impact‑fee figure for sewer increased from the prior study (2017) to approximately $759 per equivalent residential unit (ERU) in the new draft; staff indicated public posting and a formal public hearing will be required before adoption. The city attorney and staff reminded the council that impact‑fee rules allow projects to be built and then reimbursed as fees are collected; that timing drives bonding decisions.

Next steps and public process

Council directed staff to prepare the ordinance and supporting materials (impact fee report) for a public hearing cycle in June so the full report can be available to the public before hearing. Staff also agreed to return with a staff memo and comparative data on how other cities treat nonresidential volumetric charges and to coordinate with St. George for projected treatment fees so the council can see the full treatment‑cost forecast.

Ending

Staff emphasized the draft is a proposal for council feedback and not a final adoption. Councilors noted the city faces multiple near‑term fiscal choices — including property‑tax decisions and a possible transportation fee — and asked staff to craft clear materials for public meetings that explain why the increases are being considered and how the costs are allocated.","A consultant and city staff reviewed a draft sewer master plan, an updated impact‑fee calculation and a multi‑year rate path. The council asked for more detail on commercial volume charges, Saint George treatment costs, and directed staff to schedule impact‑fee hearings in mid‑June.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Ivins council continues rezoning decision for 800 West/Old Highway 91 after concerns about slopes, land‑use map

Council approves water‑conservation easement for Vista Estates frontage to qualify for reduced district impact fees

Ivins council signals support to continue yearly arts distributions and backs fundraising to buy roundabout sculpture

Ivins staff present updated sewer impact‑fee and rate plan; council asked for more detail before adoption