Commissioners review Toquerville general plan goals; residents raise utility and service concerns

Planning staff led a broad refresher on Toquerville's general plan at the March 11 meeting, reviewing the document's purpose, required elements, and priorities including land use, hillside protection, transportation, night-sky lighting standards and economic development.

Staff reminded commissioners that the general plan (adopted in early 2024) is a long-range vision that informs zoning decisions and noted state thresholds that trigger additional plan elements: a moderate-income housing element becomes reportable once the city's population reaches 5,000 and a water-conservation element becomes required above 10,000. Commissioners discussed how the Indigo project and other clustered developments contribute toward moderate-income housing strategies and expressed concern that population projections may be out of date given rapid local growth.

Transportation strategies covered the ongoing update to the master transportation plan (consultant: Sunrise Engineering), collector and arterial corridors, interconnectivity, limits on cul-de-sac lengths, and plans to update the trail master plan and pursue funding mechanisms such as impact fees and grants. Staff noted the need to align subdivision and zoning codes with the general plan and said several smaller code revisions (bonding and map updates) will appear on a future agenda; larger items such as ADUs and sign-code changes will take more time.

During reports and public comment, residents reported survey crews placing stakes on private property and possible fiber-optic or utility work along private lines; one resident said contractors claimed the power company does not need permission to access property. Staff said Rocky Mountain Power had discussed preliminary plans with the city and offered to investigate further if residents provided contractor names. Residents also raised complaints about repeated power outages and spotty trash service; commissioners asked staff to contact the utility and the contracted waste hauler (Allied) for follow-up.

Staff gave additional updates: several preliminary and final plats are in process (Sun River phases and Dr. Horton's plats), Boulder Ridge remains incomplete with outstanding improvements, a city-coordinated water-line project for four residents is scheduled to start March 30, and the dam project remains on schedule for completion in early 2027. An economic assessment for a proposed annexation is complete and a development/pre-annexation agreement is under legal review; staff expects to bring those items to the next meeting.

Next steps: staff will update commissioners as the transportation and code revisions progress, investigate residents' reports about utility/fiber activity on private land, and follow up on service complaints.