Planning commission forwards conditional recommendation for Lions Back Resort Phase 2 MPD amendment

The Moab City Planning Commission voted 4-0 Thursday to forward a positive conditional recommendation to the City Council on a major-change amendment to the Lions Back Resort Phase 2 final Master Planned Development (MPD) and phasing plan for property at 1353 Sand Flats Road.

The commission’s action approves the Phase 2 final plan and plat as an administrative step toward construction while conditioning council approval on resolution 05-2025 upon the applicant addressing all outstanding Division Review Team (DRT) comments to the satisfaction of the Moab City Engineer and the Planning Coordinator. The motion was moved by Commissioner Miles Lofton and seconded by Commissioner Jill Tanton.

Why it matters: the MPD process and the SAR (Sensitive Area Resort) zoning create site-specific entitlements that govern where and how resort-related buildings, open space and amenities may be built. The Phase 2 approvals set the plan-level locations for utilities, unit footprints and some amenity features and will allow the developer to record plats and pursue building permits once outstanding technical comments are resolved.

Staff presentation and project history City staff told the commission the applicant filed the Phase 2 MPD application in July 2023 and that final DRT comments were issued Jan. 1, 2025. Staff described the Phase 2 materials as the detailed follow-up to a long-standing preliminary MPD approval that dates to Feb. 2008 and noted that a Phase 1 final MPD and associated subdivision improvements agreement (SIA) were approved in 2021. The packet submitted for this meeting included civil and architectural plans, an updated phasing map and an updated SIA/improvement schedule that reflect the requested phasing and minor plan adjustments.

Key changes and staff concerns Staff and the project team said the applicant is effectively relabeling and shifting some boundaries between phases rather than adding new units to the overall development. In one example discussed, the area that had been designated as Phase 2 in earlier submittals was moved to a different sequence so construction of a hotel phase could be buffered from nearby residential construction. Staff said the nominal unit count in the Phase 2 footprint changed in the plan sets (the earlier documented Phase 2 had 29 units; the revised plan set shows 42), but the total number of units for the overall MPD remains locked under the governing preliminary approval.

The amendment also shows a consolidated amenity — a pool and related open-space improvements — being advanced with Phase 1/2 construction so those amenities can serve units that reach the market earlier than the larger hotel/resort centerpiece. Staff described a planned "construction sequencing" agreement to allow the developer to plat and bond sub-sequences of Phase 2 rather than posting full-phase bonding at once; staff said that approach is intended to allow more efficient financial sequencing for construction while maintaining the city’s protections via the SIA.

The Hell’s Revenge 4x4 trail was discussed as an element that remains part of the MPD; staff and the applicant said the trail will not be closed but may be required to navigate through an on-site field alignment that considers grading and drainage. Staff emphasized engineers are working with the applicant on grading and drainage so the trail alignment does not create downslope drainage issues.

Applicant remarks Brett Lenk, COO of Invent Development Partners, said the applicant and its legal team have discussed the sequencing approach and that it is part of the SIA language and attorney structure. Owner-agent John Dwight joined the meeting by Zoom but made no substantive change to the materials presented.

Outstanding technical review and conditions Staff told the commission that while many DRT comments have been satisfied through subsequent submittals, Exhibit 8 in the packet is a live DRT document that still lists items to be resolved. Commission approval to forward the recommendation was conditioned on resolution of those remaining items to the satisfaction of the Moab City Engineer and the Planning Coordinator prior to building permit application approval. The commission’s motion also specifically referenced satisfying the outstanding DRT items contained in Exhibit 8.

Formal action and vote Commissioner Miles Lofton moved the recommendation, saying, "I move that the City of Moab Planning Commission forward a positive conditional recommendation on resolution 05-2025, a resolution approving the Lions Back Resort phase 2 final MPD and phasing major change amendment for property located at 1353 Sand Flats Road, Moab, Utah 84532, with the following conditions that all outstanding comments be addressed to the satisfaction of the Moab City Engineer and Planning Coordinator prior to building permit application approval including all references in Exhibit 8 for all outstanding DRT comments." Commissioner Jill Tanton seconded. The motion passed unanimously, 4-0. Commissioners voting in favor were Commissioner Miles Lofton, Commissioner Jill Tanton, Commissioner Carolyn Conant and Chair Kaya Merrenfeld.

Next steps The recommendation will be forwarded to the Moab City Council for final land-use authority action on resolution 05-2025. Staff said remaining DRT items may be resolved before council action in some cases, but all required items must be completed before the city will issue building permits for the affected Phase 2 areas.

The Planning Commission adjourned at 6:53 p.m.