Planning commission recommends annexation of 4500 West/800 North contingent on development agreement

The Cedar City Planning Commission voted to recommend annexing a parcel at 4500 West and 800 North into Cedar City, provided the property owner and future developer agree to a development agreement that includes a buffer and other protections for the adjacent Buena Vista neighborhood.

The petitioners, represented at the meeting by Dan Roberts, asked the commission to recommend annexation of the property that the county has approved for division into two parcels. Roberts said the owner is seeking annexation into Cedar City to allow the city’s master-plan road network and zoning to apply to the site. "We're just petitioning for annexation," Roberts said during his presentation.

Residents who live in the nearby Buena Vista neighborhood voiced concerns about nocturnal noise, persistent industrial "droning," bright factory lights and traffic congestion at the neighborhood’s single access point. Joshua Peterson, who lives closest to the subject property, urged the commission to delay annexation and reconsider the general plan first: "So my proposal is to not annex at this time," he said, arguing that zoning and master-plan designations determine future land uses. Several neighbors and long-term residents detailed ongoing noise they attribute to nearby industrial operations, including repeated metal drops that they said occur in the early morning hours.

Why it matters: Annexation…