Ivins approves sale of narrow city parcel to developer to relocate storm drain, council retains 20-foot setbacks

The Ivins City Council approved the sale of a narrow city-owned parcel immediately east of Parcel SB-21-B1 (near 500 East and 400 South) to allow relocation and upsizing of a stormwater line into the public street and to remove a city-owned maintenance burden from a small private strip.

City engineering staff told the council a 30-inch storm drain in the existing alignment needs replacement; replacing it in place would cost the city substantially more and would leave a buried pipe in a narrow strip behind homes that is difficult to access. The developer proposed to relocate the storm line into the public roadway and to upsize a portion of the line. Staff said moving the public storm line into the street would reduce long-term maintenance and operations risks for the city.

At the meeting, the applicant offered to pay $30,000 for the property but later said they would accept a price halved to $15,000 if the council required the developer to retain the 20-foot setbacks residents requested. The council approved disposing of the parcel and accepted the developer’s reduced purchase proposal in exchange for retaining 20-foot setbacks, directing staff to finalize the sale and necessary easement work.

City staff estimated the net cost to the city of moving and upsizing the new storm line in the street would be lower than the cost of replacing the existing buried pipe in its current alignment. The council’s action included direction that the developer coordinate relocation design and construction with Public Works so the city’s utilities can be installed to city standards.

The adopted motion directs staff to finalize the purchase and related development-agreement language and to oversee relocation work with the developer. The council did not identify any outstanding legal or procedural objections during the public hearing and approved the action on a council vote.