Residents press council on Westfield Road access as Firelight developer discusses funding and timing

Dozens of residents and property owners raised concerns at Monday’s Toquerville City Council meeting about access from Westfield Road to the new parkway and the implications for emergency egress and fire safety.

Several public commenters, including DC Young and Dan Cavan, told the council they understood a developer commitment to extend Westfield Road to the parkway had been part of earlier approvals and that recent closures now leave neighbors without the promised secondary egress. “When the proposal for the bypass road was approved, the requirements were that contracting vehicles would not use city streets,” DC Young wrote in an email read into the public record; he added that the developer’s recent closure of the unpaved extension left nearby homes without the second access they had expected.

Dan Cavan said the blocked connection also restricts emergency access and leaves fire hydrants isolated, adding that enforcement had been inconsistent on construction‑vehicle routing. “Even if it is private property, if we had to get people out of there it would have been nice to be able to get them out that way,” Cavan said.

Scott McCall, a Firelight representative, told the council the company has master‑planned Westfield Road and has design plans and a draft road‑dedication plat. McCall said the developer paused construction on the road because the parcel did not “pencil” financially at the time and resources were redirected to the parkway and other projects. “We don't have the funds to build the road without an associated project right now,” McCall said, adding that adjacent development or a funding mechanism would trigger construction.

Doug Westbrook, a landowner in the area, said the approvals created a “pickle” because the MPD zoning had moved forward in places where Firelight didn’t yet own all parcels. Westbrook said he understood the development agreement’s mechanics but said the outcome left landowners and the city in a difficult position.

Council and staff said the city’s authority is limited because Westfield Road is on private property and is not a dedicated public right of way. City Manager Ben Billingsley said developers have indicated they are working on a funding mechanism to construct Westfield Road in coordination with adjacent development, and staff urged further coordination with the Hurricane Valley Fire District on secondary‑access requirements.

Why it matters: Residents say a second egress is a public‑safety issue for homes west of Ash Creek. Developers say the road’s construction depends on funding and adjacent private development. City staff said the road will be dedicated and constructed when the developer assembles funding or when adjacent projects are approved and can fund the work.

What’s next: Council accepted the comments and directed staff to continue discussions with developers and the fire district; no action to require immediate construction was taken. The council also heard that prior development approvals contain conditions enforcing secondary‑access requirements for subdivisions (such as the earlier Tober Hills approvals), and staff said future subdivisions will be required to resolve access at the preliminary‑plat stage.