Planning commission recommends general-plan amendment, rezoning for two nearby parcels after public hearing

The Ephraim City Planning Commission voted unanimously on June 11 to recommend that the city council approve a general-plan amendment and corresponding rezoning to swap two parcels between Camino Verde Group (CVG) and the Walking T Ranch.

Planner staff introduced the proposal as a private swap: the parcel by the airport would move to C-2 (commercial or higher-density residential) and the parcel at 400 South and 800 West would move from agricultural to residential-agricultural (RA). Staff said the change is intended to avoid single-family homes inside a state-required airport overlay zone and better align future uses with surrounding C-2 properties.

"Ephraim City is not requesting this. This is a thing between two private property owners," the city planner said, noting the commission's role is to recommend approval or denial to the city council and to weigh compatibility with surrounding parcels.

Applicant Paul Thompson, who identified himself as representing the Walking T Ranch, told commissioners he owns about 10 acres on Kiesel Lane and that his son wants to build a home there. Thompson said the trade would only proceed if both rezones were approved because he needs the RA parcel to build; he described the swap as mutually beneficial and said it would avoid placing single-family homes in the airport flyover area.

During public comment, a nearby resident who identified himself as Bill Ram said he opposes commercial or high-density housing near his property and urged the commission to respect the five-acre, rural character that area owners expected when they purchased land. "I like my dirt road," he said, arguing the change would alter the neighborhood’s character.

Staff responded to neighborhood concerns by noting that C-2 zoning still allows single-family homes (it sets maximums but does not prohibit lower-intensity uses) and reiterated that the state-required airport overlay imposes avigation-easement requirements for residences within its radius.

After deliberation — including discussion about gradation of uses where commercial transitions to agricultural — the commission moved and voted to recommend approval of the general-plan amendment and the rezoning as described in the staff report. The recommendations will be forwarded to the Ephraim City Council, which has the final authority.

The commission did not attach additional conditions to the rezoning recommendation; the council will consider the staff report, the commission’s recommendation and public testimony at its next meeting.