Planning commission recommends rezoning 366 S. Dewey Ave. from R3M to SHD after split vote

The Cedar City Planning Commission on an unspecified date recommended that City Council approve a zone change at 366 South Dewey Avenue, moving the lot from R3M (a high‑density residential designation) to SHD (Student Housing District). The commission’s recommendation passed 4–2 after commissioners debated the overlay’s effect on neighborhood form and property values.

Applicant Daryl Brown of Watson Engineering opened the public hearing and described the request, noting the parcel is contiguous with existing SHD zoning. City staff explained technical differences between R3M and SHD: R3M allows up to roughly 24 units per acre under current rules, while SHD permits reduced side and rear setbacks, lower parking ratios (staff cited a change from about 1.3 parking spaces per bedroom to about 0.75 per occupant), and a height limit measured to the top plate that can increase from about 35 feet to roughly 55 feet. Staff advised that lot size and parking availability would likely limit building height and mass on this specific parcel.

During deliberations, commissioners questioned whether the SHD overlay—an area the City Council previously identified as generally appropriate for future SHD rezonings—effectively preordains individual rezonings. Several commissioners said the overlay was intended to concentrate higher density near the university; others warned that incremental rezoning "mid‑block" can change neighborhood character and reduce single‑family housing stock. A nearby resident who spoke during public comment called the overlay "dishonest" and said it had inflated prices and displaced long‑term residents.

Commissioner discussion cited the overlay map and recent council approvals for nearby parcels. One commissioner who said they had been involved in the overlay’s initial studies argued that, in practice, SHD and R3M can have only modest aesthetic differences while allowing more density next to the university. Another commissioner urged caution and said a recommendation against rezoning should clearly explain why the general plan’s guidance did not apply.

A motion to recommend approval was made by an unnamed commissioner and seconded; the motion carried by a recorded vote of four in favor and two opposed. The commission’s positive recommendation will be forwarded to the City Council, which makes the final zoning decision.