Commission backs two-year-per-phase vesting for Fiddlers Canyon PUD after lengthy debate

After extended discussion about how long large phased projects should retain original approvals, the Cedar City Planning Commission recommended a vesting approach for Fiddlers Canyon PUD that grants two years from the most recent recording of a final plat per phase. The motion removes a proposed 15-year overall window and focuses vesting on progress measured by recorded phases.

Steve Kamlowski of Brown Consulting Engineers outlined the project as a multi-phase development planned for about 400 units and said owners requested “3 years from when we record our last phase or 15 years, whichever comes first.” Commissioners and city staff raised concerns about reserving capacity in city water/sewer models for long periods, possible changes to engineering and state standards over 15 years, and precedent for unusually long vesting periods. City engineering staff explained that modelers must reserve capacity if large future unit counts are held for years, and that standards and regulations could move significantly in a decade or more.

Commissioners said two years between phases aligns with the city’s existing ordinance for similar filings and strikes a balance between allowing reasonable progress and avoiding entitlement under outdated standards. One commissioner moved a positive recommendation to extend vesting two years from the most recent recording of a final plat within the PUD; the motion was seconded and carried. The commission added that if the developer does not record a subsequent phase within two years, the matter must return for review under current standards.

The recommendation replaces the applicant’s proposed language that would have created a 15-year horizon and will go to the City Council for final determination. The commission left in place the separate two-year clock tied to final-plat approval and recording described by staff.