The Parowan Planning & Zoning Commission on Jan. 7 voted to recommend proposed revisions to the city’s typical roadway and right‑of‑way widths to the City Council after hearing detailed input from the fire chief and the public‑works director.

Alan, the city fire chief, submitted a four‑page letter and summarized it for the commission, warning that narrow streets can hamper firefighting operations when multiple units arrive. "When other units start arriving, they need to perform different assignments," Alan said, and he noted that aerial apparatus and hose deployment require close access to structures. The chief emphasized that on‑street parking can reduce clearance to levels that make emergency operations more difficult.

Public Works Director Aldo Biossi told the commission that narrower rights of way make utility installation, maintenance and snow storage more costly and operationally complex. Aldo said crews encounter stacked utilities in very narrow corridors and that retrofitting problems after construction is difficult: "It's not a problem until it's a problem," he said, urging the commission to weigh long‑term maintenance and service impacts against initial construction costs.

Commission discussion centered on a set of three proposed changes, including limiting a very narrow 'no on‑street parking' option to rural estate streets and creating a 50‑foot option for low‑traffic local roads that meet specific criteria (single‑family residences and a traffic study showing fewer than 1,000 daily trips). Commissioners asked about cost implications; staff explained that state gas‑tax allocations are reported by lane‑mile and do not increase for wider roads, which complicates funding for larger cross‑sections.

After discussion, the commission moved to forward the recommended typical sections to the City Council; the motion passed on a voice vote with one member recorded as voting 'Nay.' Staff will prepare the formal recommendation for the council packet.

The commission's recommendation does not itself change city code; final decisions will be made by the City Council in a subsequent meeting.