Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Erosion Permit topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Springdale Planning Commission denies request to waive erosion-permit condition for Driftwood Lodge
Summary
The Planning Commission voted unanimously on Jan. 2 to deny a request to remove a condition requiring an erosion-hazard permit before construction at the Driftwood Lodge (1515 Zion Park Blvd.), citing town code that bars land disturbance in the erosion hazard zone without a permit; staff said applicants can fast-track a complete permit submittal for a future meeting.
The Springdale Planning Commission on Jan. 2 denied a request to amend a condition of approval that requires an erosion-hazard permit before construction at the Driftwood Lodge, 1515 Zion Park Boulevard.
Town staff told the commission the condition is tied to town code 10-13-E-7(a), which “states no person may cause any land disturbance within the EHZ or the HREZ … unless the land disturbance is specifically authorized under a valid erosion hazard zone permit.” Staff said the applicant’s engineer believes mitigation could be done coincident with construction, but that the ordinance does not allow disturbance in the hazard zone until the permit is issued.
The applicant’s consultant, Jared of Rosenberg Associates, told commissioners property owners believed an earlier approval left the project clear to proceed and that contractors were mobilized. Jared said engineers “feel like there’s room to put the erosion behind the bank … it can be built without any impact to the river.” Contractors attending the meeting said starting work now would reduce congestion later and asked staff to fast-track permitting if the amendment was denied.
Staff corrected the applicants’ public statements, saying a building permit had not been issued because the erosion issue remained unresolved and that the contractor had been told to stop work until permits are obtained. Commissioners cited the town code and the risk of authorizing disturbance before an approved erosion plan when moving to deny the amendment.
Commissioner Jennifer McCullough moved to deny the request; the motion was seconded by Terry Kruschke and passed with all commissioners voting aye. Commissioners also discussed options to accelerate the permit review: erosion‑hazard permits are scheduled before the Planning Commission at its regular third‑Wednesday meeting, but staff said a special meeting or expedited scheduling is possible if the applicant supplies a complete submittal in time.
Next steps: the applicant may submit a complete erosion-hazard permit application for staff review and placement on a future Planning Commission agenda or request a special meeting to expedite review. The commission’s denial preserves the standing condition that no land disturbance in the EHZ/HREZ is permitted until the authorized erosion permit is issued.
