Cities across Utah are feeling pressure from the State Legislature to help provide more affordable housing options. At the same time, communities like Ivins are trying to maintain neighborhood character, protect infrastructure capacity, and preserve our quality of life. Those goals aren’t incompatible, but they require thoughtful decision-making.
When development proposals come forward, they often include requests to change our General Plan land-use map to allow smaller lots and more units.
These higher-density requests can represent real opportunities, but only if we evaluate them through a clear framework that balances private development interests with public benefit, respects existing neighborhoods, supports practical affordability, and helps us meet statewide housing goals in a way that makes sense for Ivins.
Here is a practical way to think about land-use changes so we can grow while keeping Ivins special.
Start With Neighborhood Compatibility
Every area of Ivins has an established development pattern. Some neighborhoods are dominated by larger lots; others by more compact homes. Before changing land use or zoning, it’s essential to ask: Is the proposed change compatible with the surrounding area?
For example, if an area is characterized by 10,000 square foot lots, allowing a higher density, may still be appropriate if thoughtful measures help maintain compatibility. These could include single-story height limits, building materials and colors sensitive to the setting, additional lower density buffering or landscape buffering, etc.
These steps are helpful, but they only serve one purpose: mitigation, reducing negative impacts.
“Affordability” Needs To Be Real, Not Just Aspirational
A common argument for land-use changes is that smaller lots and homes create affordability. But unless there are binding requirements, that affordability is not guaranteed. It simply produces smaller market-rate homes, which can still be out of reach for many working families.
So it’s reasonable to ask: How is affordability being guaranteed? Will homes be deed-restricted and reserved for those earning 80% of area median income? Will the deed restrictions include resale rules to ensure long-term affordability? Without these elements, affordability is just a slogan.
Other Utah communities have shown real, lasting solutions. Springdale worked with Mountain Country Home Solutions to create seven owner-occupied homes within a community land trust. These homes are deed-restricted, include resale limits, and have a local-resident preference. This is the type of long-term affordability that keeps workers and families in the community they serve.
By requiring a small number of deed-restricted affordable units when density increases are granted, Ivins would create permanent community value and demonstrate to the State Legislature that we are serious about addressing affordability through practical, responsible local planning.
This isn’t about burdening developers. It’s about ensuring that when the rules are relaxed, the community receives a meaningful and durable benefit in return.
Use the Value-Capture Principle
When the City grants additional development rights, like higher density to allow more units, the property typically becomes more valuable. That’s where the principle of value capture comes in.
The concept of value capture is well-established in the planning world. The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the American Planning Association both highlight value capture as a proven tool for ensuring that when public decisions increase private development value, a portion of that benefit is reinvested into the broader community. Although value capture can take many forms, one of the most common applications nationwide is to support affordable housing.
If the community increases a developer’s property’s value through a land-use change, it is reasonable for the community to receive something meaningful in return.
This is not a penalty, it’s responsible stewardship. Examples of value capture include requiring a small share of units with deed-restricted permanent affordability, dedicated open space, infrastructure improvements, traffic mitigation, etc.
Even small increases in density create ripple effects: more traffic, more strain on water and infrastructure, more demand for public safety, more general maintenance, etc. Value capture helps offset those long-term impacts and ensures that some portion of the added value is reinvested into the community.
Without applying value capture, we leave public benefit on the table. It’s a missed opportunity that shouldn’t be missed.
Distinguish Between Mitigation vs. Public Benefit
Developers may offer concessions when requesting more density, such as lower rooflines or buffering to help reduce the negative impacts of higher density. Those are positive steps, and they are appreciated, but they are mitigation measures to prevent or minimize harm, not create new value for the community.
Mitigation measures help a project better fit the neighborhood. But they do not provide lasting, citywide benefit. By comparison, value capture creates value for the community. That’s a public benefit. We should look not only at whether a proposal avoids harm, but whether it delivers something meaningful to the community in return. When density goes up, the community should receive something meaningful in return.
A Practical Path Forward
Land-use changes can be powerful tools. When used thoughtfully, they can increase housing variety, support affordability, maintain neighborhood character, and even strengthen infrastructure. And they can do all this without sacrificing the qualities that make Ivins special.
To be successful, a land-use change should: Respect neighborhood context, require meaningful affordability or some other community benefit such as open space, capture a small portion of the developer’s added value for community benefit, recognize that mitigation is not enough, and create lasting community value.
This approach ensures that development and community both benefit.
Keep Ivins Special Through Smart Exchanges
Growth will continue. The question is not whether Ivins will grow, but how. When land-use changes are requested, cities have leverage, often one of the few times we do have leverage. We should use that leverage to ensure that when development gains, the community gains too.
Thoughtful value exchange is fair, practical, forward-looking, and fully consistent with community values. It’s the best path to meeting housing needs while preserving what makes Ivins a wonderful place to live.