Council approves zone change for 2.61-acre parcel off State Street to R-110 single-family

The Hurricane City Council voted unanimously to approve zone-change ordinance ZC25-09, permitting conversion of approximately 2.61 acres east of State Street (spanning roughly 200 North to 300 North, near the base of the Hurricane Cliff) from Highway Commercial to single-family residential R-110.

City staff told the council the property has been zoned Highway Commercial since the late 1990s and that the applicant intends to build one single-family home initially with potential additional single-family development later. The Planning Commission held a public hearing on Aug. 14 and unanimously recommended approval, concluding the parcel is unlikely to be developed commercially and that residential zoning better fits the mostly residential surrounding block.

An applicant representative told the council utility and access questions raised by the city—s utility departments can be addressed; he said one of the existing structures is a small agricultural storage shed and the property currently receives agricultural tax treatment. Council members pressed for reasons in the motion to show the record that the four zone-change standards were met: adequate public facilities, harmony with surrounding property, alignment with the general plan (the council noted the change would move the property closer to the general plan), and that the amendment would not adversely impact the area.

Councilman Hershey moved approval, Councilman Thomas seconded, and the motion passed unanimously. Council members recorded for the record that the item satisfied standard findings and that the location and lack of a thoroughfare made residential use more appropriate than commercial.