Commission recommends workforce-housing overlay be applied to 120 Kennesawba Drive

The Springdale Planning Commission on May 15 voted unanimously to recommend that the Town Council apply the Workforce Housing Overlay Zone (WHOZ) to a property at 120 Kennesawba Drive.

Staff planner Niall Connolly explained that the zone change, if adopted, would allow the applicant to subdivide the lot and create one additional ownership unit that would be deed restricted to households that meet WHOZ occupancy rules (households must be employed in Springdale or Zion National Park and work a minimum number of hours annually as defined in the code).

Applicant Kathy Lefebvre described her long-term support for attainable/workforce housing and said she and her family are willing to deed restrict the homes on the property to ensure they are occupied by qualified households. “We’re willing to deed restrict our home,” Lefebvre said, adding that several neighbors submitted letters of support and that the proposed units would be modest and consistent with neighborhood scale.

Commissioners asked whether the subdivision and design details would return to the commission; staff confirmed subdivision and design-development-review (DER) processes would follow separately and that standards including the town color palette and DER requirements will apply during review.

During public comment Paul Benson spoke in favor of the application. The commission then moved to recommend council approval, citing consistency with the town’s general plan housing goals and the WHOZ purpose to provide attainable housing for local employees. The motion passed unanimously.

Next steps: The recommendation will be transmitted to the Town Council; subdivision and building design will be reviewed in subsequent DER and subdivision proceedings if council approves the zone change.