At our December 18th meeting, I voted to approve a 160-unit short-term rental development called Mojave Village just off Hwy 91. I do not believe short-term rentals are good for Ivins. In addition to practical challenges they create, they undermine the sense of community that defines this city. That’s why I have consistently voted against rezoning land to Resort Commercial (RC), which allows short-term rentals.
Since joining the City Council, I have voted against every RC rezoning proposal except one. The sole exception was approved only after I required a condition prohibiting short-term rentals on that property.
Last night’s vote was difficult because the underlying zoning decision was already made. It was rezoned RC in 2022, when I cast one of my lone “no” votes. Under Utah law, that zoning gives the owner the right to pursue short-term rentals on the site. At this stage, the City Council cannot legally prohibit that use outright.
But what we can do, and what I focused on, is require strong, enforceable conditions that meaningfully limit impacts. I proposed 37 conditions that were approved (download my memo). These address management accountability, occupancy limits, parking enforcement, noise controls, trash handling, security, response times, records, inspections, and clear consequences if management fails. These are not symbolic measures. They provide the City with real enforcement tools and establish firm expectations for how short-term rentals must operate in Ivins.
I continue to believe short-term rentals are the wrong direction for Ivins, and I will continue to oppose rezoning additional land to allow them. But when the zoning already exists, the responsible course is to use the authority we do have to protect the community as strongly as possible. That is what this vote was about.
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Recent “Development” Articles
- Mojave Village: A Big Proposal Moving Quickly
PDF 📄Ivins is considering a significant new development called Mojave Village, approximately 64 acres near Guy Lane and Fitness Way. The proposal includes 369 units: 160 Resort Commercial townhomes that could be used as short-term rentals, nearly 200 smaller-lot single-family homes, and estate lots of an acre or more. That’s a lot to consider. At… - Mojave Village: Your Questions, Concerns & My Responses
PDF 📄Since I posted information about the proposed Mojave Village development, I’ve received more than 100 emails and a lot of social media comments. Some are strongly opposed. Some ask good questions. Some raise concerns I share. Some reflect understandable misunderstandings about what is actually being proposed, which is one reason I think providing more… - A New Plan for 64 Acres in Ivins: Mojave Village
PDF 📄There are two important public hearings this week regarding Mojave Village, a proposed development of approximately 64 acres near Guy Lane and Fitness Way. The proposal would change the Land Use and Zoning Maps to allow a mix of housing types and Resort Commercial development. The proposed plan includes: 160 Resort Commercial townhomes that… - SITLA Responses to Resident Concerns
PDF 📄I have received a number of emails from residents opposed to the annexation of the SITLA land just off Hwy 91 next to the Indigo Trails neighborhood and the proposed “Anasazi Commons” attainable housing development (previously called Anasazi Ridge). After reviewing all of the emails I’ve received so far, I found 37 different concerns… - Shivwits/Black Desert Development
PDF 📄Update: June 9, 2026: City Council member Wayne Pennington provided a more recent plan (download) than was proposed in the presentation from last year that I initially posted. At our City Council meeting last Thursday, we agreed to place a discussion item on the June 18 Council agenda regarding the proposed development being planned…