The Santaquin City Planning Commission on July 8 unanimously recommended that the City Council consider rezoning about 29 acres in the vicinity of 4279 West and 12800 South to allow an RV resort, directing staff to draft zoning language or a new zone that would accommodate the proposed use.

The recommendation is a legislative step to enable the applicant’s vision for a “luxury RV resort,” not approval of a specific site plan or the resort itself. The commission’s vote forwards the rezone request and asks staff to work with the applicant and city council on how to define and regulate an RV resort in Santaquin.

Applicant Brennan Jackson told the commission the family’s plan is a short-stay, destination-oriented facility that would “bring some tax income” and include amenities such as a Western museum. Jackson said the resort would be “not an RV park, but an RV resort,” and clarified during the public hearing that guests would be limited to short-term stays, saying residents “you couldn’t stay more than 28 days.”

Neighbors raised concerns about noise, traffic and protecting agricultural character. Resident Monty Pugh asked how long guests could stay; applicant Jackson answered “not more than 28 days.” Resident Ryan DePue cited the city’s general plan policy that favors agricultural preservation and urged mitigation along the fence line where the property borders existing homes. Applicant representative Mackley Anderson said the developers plan landscaping and trees as visual and noise buffers.

Planning staff told the commission that the city’s land-use definitions currently do not include “RV resort.” Staff noted Santaquin City Code section 10.20.60 directs the commission to consider conformance with the general plan, annexation plan and effects on surrounding properties. Staff also said the city’s general plan shows the site’s future land use as an “agricultural heritage area,” which the commission may need to address in its recommendation.

Commission discussion focused on whether to rezone the parcels to the existing C-1 (Commercial 1) zone or to ask staff and council to create a new, tailored zone or specific regulations for RV resorts. Commissioners expressed support for the concept of an upscale, experiential RV resort but noted that permitting RV resorts broadly in C-1 could allow similar developments across many C-1 parcels in town. Several commissioners suggested alternatives such as a new “commercial recreation” or RV-resort-specific zone, minimum acreage requirements, or conditional-use standards to avoid unintended proliferation of RV resorts.

Business owner and consultant Callie Bowers, who said she formerly owned an RV park in Nephi, advised the commission that Nephi uses a highway-commercial designation for such uses and applies conditional-use permit conditions, including minimum acreage and open-space requirements, to limit proliferation. Bowers said those tools helped create an experience-oriented park rather than numerous small RV parks.

Commissioner Nixon made a motion to forward a positive recommendation to the City Council to rezone the roughly 29-acre parcel numbers 30092009, 300920018 and 300920011 from residential agricultural to a zone to be created that would permit an RV resort (the motion did not approve any site plan). Commissioner Tolman seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous: Commissioners Moe, Nixon, Wood, Hoffman and Tolman voted yes. The commission chair indicated staff will coordinate with the mayor’s office about placing the item on an upcoming City Council agenda.

Next steps described by staff include: the City Council review of the commission’s recommendation; if the council supports the concept, staff would draft zoning language or propose a new zone, define an “RV resort,” and then the applicant would return for site plan and subdivision review with infrastructure, landscaping, buffering and other standards to be determined. Staff repeatedly emphasized that approving the rezoning recommendation is a high-level, legislative step and not an approval of the resort’s detailed design, uses or permits.

The Planning Commission closed the item and adjourned the meeting. The commission noted other upcoming items on future agendas but took no further action on the RV resort tonight.