Kayenta group seeks night-sky overlay; commission asks for clearer map and consistent wording

A citizen petition to create a limited lighting-overlay for the Kayenta area drew extended discussion at the Ivins Planning Commission meeting June 3. The petition would apply a targeted lighting ordinance—aligned with Kayenta’s existing covenants and the International Dark-Sky Association guidance—to selected parcels, primarily property listed to Terry Martin.

City staff presented two maps showing the proposed overlay and explained that one map included a small triangle that may lie outside Ivins' municipal boundary across Highway 91. The applicant, Kai Reed, identified herself for the record: “My name is Kai Reed, and I'm president of Ivan's Night Sky,” and acknowledged that a map error had been introduced by a third party and that the original map did not include land outside the city. Reed told the commission she and the petitioners are “certainly not a make-or-break thing” if the overlay is redrawn to the city boundary at Highway 91.

Commissioners pressed staff on technical and enforcement questions. Commissioner Clifford noted the current maps "lack information ... it's more of a county, when I try plot map than it is actually lots and streets." Rob Pack, city staff, explained the city cannot regulate land outside its boundaries and said the map should be redrawn to show only parcels within the city. Tim Pavlik, a Kayenta resident who helped draft the proposed language, said differences in the draft ordinance (notably a 10 p.m. vs. 11 p.m. turn‑off standard for outdoor recreational lighting) stem from earlier templates and the draft can be clarified; Pavlik described the “10” hour as a placeholder tied to dark-sky zoning standards.

Several commissioners raised implementation concerns: measuring compliance, cross-boundary light trespass, and how stricter standards in an overlay would interact with neighboring areas not opting in. As one commissioner summarized, “light doesn't stop at a boundary.” Staff and petitioners agreed the immediate goal is to create an enforceable city overlay matching Kayenta’s existing standards and then, optionally, to pursue an international designation later; staff said an overlay zone could be drafted as an exception to the city’s general lighting standards.

Next steps the commission requested: staff will redraw the overlay map excluding parcels outside city boundaries and return a cleaned, consistent ordinance draft (including consistent language on the 10/11 p.m. turn-off standard) for future public hearing. Commissioners and petitioners also discussed the technical question of measurable compliance (photometric limits, lumen/power thresholds) and flagged that enforcement methods will require explicit, measurable standards in the ordinance language rather than aspirational phrasing.

No formal vote was taken; the commission asked staff to return with rewritten exhibits and a revised overlay ordinance for hearing at a future meeting.