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County zoning report: gas stations, Maverick, proposed data center and code-enforcement issues highlighted
Summary
Building and zoning reported increased permit activity and several large projects in planning, including gas stations, a Maverick convenience store, data-center interest on Lund Highway, two large solar projects and an AMPAC expansion; staff also flagged nuisance properties and travel-trailer regulation concerns.
Terry Palmer, Iron County building and zoning official, told the commission the department has seen a rise in activity this year and described several major projects that could affect growth, traffic and infrastructure demands.
Palmer reported 18 building permits issued so far this year compared with 11 in the prior year and said plan-review workloads are up. He listed two new gas station projects in Parowan (a Terrible27s and a Maverick), a proposed Maverick on the west side of the I-15 freeway, and other commercial projects coming into permit review.
Palmer also described interest from a data-center developer seeking approximately 2,000 acres on the north end of Lund Highway for a multi-phase, 10-year buildout. He said the developer has discussed requirements for redundant power and fiber and noted improvements in cooling technology have reduced water use compared with older facilities.
Other projects Palmer cited included a BZI office complex, two large solar projects (including a 100-megawatt AC site behind a dairy on Buckhorn Flat), and an AMPAC expansion that would add a third production line. He said some projects have substantial power needs and will require coordination on substations and transmission capacity.
Palmer told commissioners that code enforcement has been active: one staff member issued 42 violation letters so far this year, many along Lund Highway. He asked the commission to revisit the county27s travel-trailer and nuisance use ordinances to help staff address long-standing problems, including unpermitted dwellings, animals and on-site wastewater concerns.
Palmer also reported county building-maintenance items: a leaking foam roof on the county office building, a planned elevator overhaul estimated in the low hundreds of thousands of dollars, and ongoing roof and conduit repairs at the public safety building, where he said a contractor may have damaged underground conduit near the generator and allowed water intrusion.
Palmer asked the commission for time to meet and discuss potential ordinance tweaks and enforcement approaches to address the issues he raised.
