Millville planning commission recommends denying rezone for 35-acre south‑fields parcel

The Millville Planning Commission voted March 4 to recommend denial of a request by Steward Land Company to rezone a 35‑acre parcel (03‑035‑0037) in Millville’s south fields from Agricultural to a mix of R‑1 (one‑third acre) and R‑2 (one‑half acre).

The decision followed a public hearing in which dozens of residents raised unresolved concerns about water supply and sewer capacity, traffic and road safety, riparian protection for Garr Springs Creek and school capacity. ‘‘Millville has already decided this issue. Planning and Zoning spoke, the City Council spoke, the residents spoke. The answer was clear: no,’’ resident Riley Peterson said while reading a prepared statement that warned of referenda and records requests if the matter were pushed forward.

Why it matters: The parcel lies in an area where the city’s 2016 general plan shows agricultural uses and a planned collector road. Commissioners repeatedly said the general plan has not been updated and that rezoning without new infrastructure studies would be premature. Commissioner Coby Price emphasized legal limits on spot‑zoning, saying, ‘‘Spot‑zoning or reverse spot‑zoning is not legal,’’ and noted that a rezoning application is only the first step; subdivision approvals later would require more detailed studies.

Public concerns and developer position: Neighbors described long‑standing irrigation and water‑share arrangements, with one resident noting that pressurized irrigation in the area supports small‑scale farming. Several speakers asked for riparian studies and buffers to protect streams and groundwater; Scott Robison specifically requested the type of riparian preserve that had been required for a nearby subdivision. Others urged larger lot sizes (1–2 acres) to preserve the rural character. Jeff Gibson, who identified himself as the landowner, told commissioners he has owned the parcel for a decade and said he wants development to proceed ‘‘respectfully’’ as infrastructure allows.

Commission response and next steps: Commissioners said state law and precedent limit their ability to deny rezones where similar lot sizes exist in the city, but they also stressed that a rezone does not itself approve subdivision details. The commission listed missing information—watershed and stormwater analyses, school‑capacity implications, and detailed infrastructure plans—and urged that those studies be completed or that the city’s general plan be updated before the topic returns. Recorder Twedt confirmed the city charges a rezone fee and that staff had proposed increasing fees for parcels over five acres.

Formal action: Commissioner Coby Price moved to deny recommending approval of the rezone application; Commissioner Bonnie Farmer seconded. Commissioners Garrett Greenhalgh, Matt Anderson, Bonnie Farmer, Lynette Dickey and Coby Price voted in favor and the motion passed. The commission asked staff to collect additional information and signaled that the city should update its general plan prior to reconsidering rezones in the area.

What comes next: The commission calendared future planning work and may ask for formal studies and updates to the city’s general plan before any new rezone or subdivision application is advanced. The city’s next Planning Commission meeting was scheduled for March 19, 2026.