Planning commission recommends rezoning for Enbridge gas regulator site near Snow Canyon Parkway

On Feb. 4, 2025, the Ivins Planning Commission voted to recommend that the City Council approve a zone change from RC to CLM for a 0.17-acre portion of land at approximately 1650 East Snow Canyon Parkway so Enbridge (applicant) can construct a gas regulator station to serve Black Desert and nearby development.

The recommendation matters because Enbridge officials told the commission the existing gas-regulator capacity in Ivins is nearing its limit and the proposed station would increase distribution capacity for the community and the resort. Residents of the Reserve and other nearby neighborhoods opposed the rezoning on visual, noise and siting grounds and asked whether alternative locations or different access points were considered.

Petitioner representative Corey Jardine described the project as “a regulation station” requested by Enbridge to lower high pipeline pressure for local distribution. Enbridge Gas representative Steve Claussen told the commission the equipment is common infrastructure and is subject to federal pipeline rules, saying, “This kind of infrastructure is something you probably drive by every day and didn't know that you passed it.” Claussen said facilities of this type inspect the site monthly, receive at least annual maintenance, have electronic monitoring and redundant safety features including multiple regulators, alarms and relief devices. He said Enbridge has response teams based in St. George and “will be able to respond within 30 minutes to any call.”

Design and siting details presented to the commission and public included a secured yard approximately 100 by 75 feet, an internal equipment building roughly 12 by 15 feet with an 8-foot ceiling, and perimeter screening consisting of a 6- to 8-foot wall with landscaping outside the wall where combustible materials are not permitted inside the fenced area. The petitioner’s consultant and civil engineer said the site sits in a topographic pocket and that construction will cut into the hill so finished grade at the site will be at road grade while the facility is lower than surrounding parcels; the project team repeatedly described the location choice as intended to minimize sight lines from Snow Canyon Parkway.

During public comment several nearby residents said they oppose the rezoning. Jim Martinson, of 1500 East Split Rock Drive and an HOA board member, said his neighborhood opposes the change and listed ongoing construction impacts they have endured: “we've been dealing…with the noise, the dust, explosions, traffic, light pollution, and for over 3 years now.” Other speakers asked whether the station could be placed on Black Desert property or accessed from interior resort roads to hide it from Snow Canyon Park­way. Barbara Alexander asked about lighting; the commission confirmed the petitioner does not plan overnight lighting because the site will be unmanned.

Commissioners and staff clarified that the Planning Commission’s role is to make a recommendation to the City Council; final legislative authority rests with council. Staff said the CLM (Commercial Light Manufacturing) zone is the table-of-uses location where a gas regulator facility is allowed under the city code, and that the rezoning request must be evaluated against the Ivins General Plan and applicable findings in the municipal code. Legal counsel explained that rezoning occurs first under state law and that subsequent development details, permits and design-review processes (including conditional-use permitting and compliance with Chapter 19 design guidelines) would be reviewed by staff and the city after any successful rezoning.

Enbridge and petitioner representatives said alternative locations were considered but that the route and location of the high-pressure main in Snow Canyon Parkway — installed in the mid-1980s, the applicant said — dictated proximity to the road. On whether the facility could be placed underground, Claussen said Enbridge policy does not allow underground regulator facilities and cited safety and maintenance reasons: underground vaults require ventilation, increase corrosion risk and complicate access and venting. Claussen described the 100-by-75-foot yard as sized to provide required clearances and to place all regulated equipment inside secured walls.

The Planning Commission moved to recommend approval of the rezoning to the City Council. The motion passed with commissioners recorded as voting aye. Staff said the recommendation and record will be forwarded to the City Council for its legislative decision; detailed engineering, grading and design plans, and any development agreement or exclusive easement to secure the site for Enbridge’s use, would follow only if council approves zoning.

Votes at a glance: The Planning Commission recommended that the City Council approve a zone change from RC to CLM on a 0.17-acre parcel at approximately 1650 East Snow Canyon Parkway (owner listed in the application as NLAW LLC; applicant Enbridge). The commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the City Council for a final decision.

What’s next: If city council approves the rezoning the petitioner must submit detailed site, grading and building plans and obtain required permits and conditional-use review demonstrating compliance with Ivins design and safety ordinances. Enbridge said it intends to sign an exclusive easement with the landowner to restrict use of the parcel to the regulator facility.