Developers and SITLA pitch 250 'starter' homes near Ivins; city flags annexation, slopes and code changes

Developers and the state land trust said a 40-acre Sitla parcel near Ivins could be developed into about 250 ‘‘starter’’ single-family homes that they expect to price under $400,000, but city staff and commissioners warned the council that annexation, water and sewer extensions, zoning changes and significant geotechnical work would be required before any approvals.

Jordan Wall, founder of Wall Wall Construction, told the joint Ivins City Council and Planning Commission work meeting that the team — which includes local horizontal contractor TJ Griffiths and land developer Brecken Anderson — expects to deliver mostly 1,000–1,400 square-foot homes on lots in the roughly 3,000–4,000 square-foot range and a weighted average sale price of about $375,000. "Our goal is to create homes for residents to live, work, and raise their families," Wall said during the presentation.

Why it matters: the property is a Sitla (State Institutional Trust Lands Administration) offering intended to test participation in the governor's affordable-housing agenda. The parcel currently lies outside Ivins city limits, so any development would require annexation and a municipal determination that roads, water and sewer service can be extended. City staff told the meeting Ivins' current code does not allow lots smaller than 5,000 square feet, and that setbacks, garage requirements and the city's sensitive‑lands rules would have to be reviewed and likely revised to enable the proposed product.

What the developers proposed and the constraints they cited The development team called the proposal "Anasazi Ridge" and said it responds to state housing targets and local workforce needs. Wall cited statewide data presented at a Housing Action Coalition event — high rent burden, a rising age for first-time buyers, and a statewide housing shortfall — and framed the project as a public–private response to that need.

The team told the council it proposed approximately 250 single‑family units, with…