Council delays decision on Zion Regional Medical Center height exceptions while seeking setbacks and shorter permit window

Hurricane City Council on Thursday continued consideration of a development agreement with Zion Regional Medical Center after council members said they wanted clearer limits on where 85-foot buildings would be allowed and a shorter timeline before the height exception expires.

The draft agreement would let medical uses — defined in the document as hospital towers, hospital buildings, medical office buildings, cancer centers, medical rehabilitation buildings and medical clinics — reach up to 85 feet. Nonmedical buildings on the same property would be required to comply with standard zone heights, and the agreement would prohibit conversion of an excess-height medical building to a nonmedical use.

City staff described other features of the draft: the height allowance runs with the land and, as written, would expire 10 years from the council’s action unless a medical building permit is pulled. Staff noted the agreement does not grant other entitlements beyond the height adjustment and that the city is not committing to providing any off-site infrastructure improvements or resolving adequate public facilities as part of the agreement.

Council members praised the project but raised multiple concerns. Several members said they were uncomfortable with an open-ended allowance that would permit 85-foot buildings across the entire 38-acre site and asked for a tiered approach tying taller heights to greater distance from SR‑9. One councilmember proposed keeping the hospital tower at 85 feet, limiting medical office buildings to 65 feet, and setting lower heights — for example 50 feet — for other buildings. Another asked that no buildings closer than a defined distance from SR‑9 be allowed to reach the tallest heights; staff suggested 200 feet as a workable setback to preserve corridor openness.

Representatives for the applicant (identified in the meeting as development team members and an architect) told the council they were seeking flexibility at this preliminary stage. The applicant’s spokesperson said the hospital component is their priority and that the remainder of the site — currently shown on a demonstrative site plan — is subject to change as parking and other constraints are refined. The applicant said they were willing to work with the council on a tiered approach but asked for enough flexibility to allow the hospital and at least one medical office building to proceed.

Council members also asked that the 10‑year expiration be shortened; city staff said they could change the draft to five years if that was the council’s preference. The applicant and staff reported active coordination with UDOT and other agencies on access and infrastructure; one applicant representative said UDOT engineers had scheduled follow-up meetings to address access concerns.

After discussion, Councilmember Aleman moved and Councilmember Preet seconded a motion to continue the item for two weeks to allow the applicant time to return with proposed setbacks and a tiered-height approach. The motion passed unanimously. Mayor Billings said the item will return as an early “old business” item at the June 19 meeting so the council can act with the new information.

The continuation does not approve any height changes; it directs the applicant to revise the development agreement and exhibits to reflect the setback/height tiering and to shorten the duration for the height exception as requested by council.

Looking ahead, staff said the exhibit provided to council was demonstrative and that any final height and setback scheme should be included in a revised development agreement and supporting site plan when the council takes final action.