Ivins council sends Hidden Springs RV permit revisions back to planning commission after hours-long review

Ivins City Council on Nov. 20 spent more than an hour revising proposed rules for Hidden Springs RV Resort, splitting the difference on several items but directing staff to send the conditional-use permit back to the planning commission for formal language.

The discussion opened with council members and the resort owner, John Graff, trading options on unit height and site classification. Council Member Scott proposed limiting units to a single story and capping rooftop height at 10 feet to allow common non-pop‑up trailers; Mike (council member) and others said they would accept a 10‑foot cap with an explicit ban on pop-ups. John Graff told the council he expected many trailer heights would fall between 9 and 10 feet and asked for clarity so the resort could plan accordingly: “Approximately, as soon as I can afford it, I’m planning on doing it,” Graff said when asked about building planned bathroom facilities.

Landscaping and perimeter screening were a focal point. Council debated requiring two trees every 30 feet along Highway 91 and the north/south borders, and whether the parks director should retain approval authority for tree species and size. Council members acknowledged a nearby parcel likely to remain in agricultural use and discussed whether that area should be exempt from the more-prescriptive western screening requirement.

Pad surfacing and road standards drew sharp comment. Staff and councilors reviewed language that would require streets to be paved and pads to be either concrete or 6 inches of compacted road base with a 2‑inch crushed-rock overlay, with all pull‑through pads required to be concrete. Some councilors and members of the public favored concrete pull‑throughs for longevity and aesthetics; others favored gravel to reduce visual brightness and construction cost. Council Member Scott summarized the compromise language in the draft ordinance and said he could support it.

Council also discussed facility and occupancy requirements. Proposed changes tie cabin, tent and tiny‑home occupancy limits to the Utah transient room tax periods (currently 29 days) and clarify that manager housing — a currently occupied on‑site RV used by a family member — will need specific CUP allowance if it will remain year‑round and visible from public roads.

Timing for required improvements was raised repeatedly. For the subset of about 35 pull‑through pads, staff and the owner estimated work could take until February 2027; the council signaled it would consider extending deadlines for those specific improvements while keeping the CUP enforcement schedule tied to the permit’s expiration. The mayor directed staff to draft CUP language consistent with the council’s direction and return both the CUP and any ordinance amendments to the planning commission so they could be processed together.

What happens next: staff will produce proposed CUP language and ordinance amendments reflecting the council’s give‑and‑take, the CUP will go back to the planning commission for formal consideration, and the council will take subsequent action based on that recommendation.