Last Thursday the City Council voted to change the land use on this parcel from low density to high density and change the zoning to townhomes with one buffer row of single-family homes on 5,000 sq.ft. lots along the north side of the property next to the Haven development.
Going from low to high density sounds like a huge leap. But let’s put it in perspective. The Haven development directly north is medium density. It sits on land that was originally low density. Red Mountain Vista Townhomes next door is high density, but that land was originally low density. So, all the fiddling with changes to the land use plan over many years has made low density impractical for this site.
I did not vote for this change. I recommended no change until the City revises our Land Use Plan for the entire city and before getting a lot of public input. But I would have supported a change to medium density, like the Haven.
I don’t think the Council’s decision went far enough to protect the Haven. But it is important to note that it was a better decision than we often get. That’s because the Council provided some protection for the Haven by requiring a “buffer” of single-family homes next to it.
By comparison, when Red Mountain Vista Townhomes was approved by the Council, all the adjoining land uses were either low or medium density. But high-density townhomes were approved for the entire site without any buffer of single-family to protect the adjoining properties.
I believe it is important to create a buffer whenever higher density is approved next to lower density. The City Council did that. I just don’t think it was enough of a buffer. I cited a couple of real-life examples to show my opinion of where “small” buffers are okay and where “larger” buffers are more appropriate. But it is subjective and a bit philosophical. So, I’ll work on my presentation skills to hopefully do a better job in the future.
I would appreciate positive suggestions and examples of good solutions to problems like this. Although they didn’t do as much as I wanted, the City Council was sensitive to the adjoining properties, so don’t beat them up. Just help me with more information about how to explain my ideas better.
Please share your comments and tell me about other Ivins issues I have not addressed in recent posts. CONTACT ME
Recent “Development” posts
- Is This The Right Vision?Does the City’s vision for Ivins’ future match yours? The City Council has been working on an update to our General Plan since February. The General Plan is the City’s primary guiding document, outlining Ivins’ past, present, and future. It is meant to reflect our collective vision, values, and goals. It’s crucial to get this…
- How To Beat The Incomprehensible Web of BureaucracySometimes people get upset on social media about the wrong things. Yes, believe it or not, that’s true. Like when the City approves a “preliminary plan” or a “final plat” for a development. Comments boil down to something like this, “Why would those idiots approve this when we are already overwhelmed with growth, traffic, water…
- Bigfoot And Affordable HousingBoth are elusive creatures that everyone talks about, but few, if any, have seen. Even so, the State Legislature is putting more pressure on cities to find housing affordability solutions. On top of that, the Governor is calling on cities to create 35,000 “starter” homes for first-time home buyers. In response, Mayor Hart created an…
- Developers With Seeger SyndromeDevelopers in Ivins have the Seeger Syndrome. For Pete’s sake, they’re hammering in the morning! They’re hammering in the evening! They’re hammering all over this city! Ivins issued 100 to 150 residential permits a year between 2015 and 2018. Permit activity almost doubled after 2018, peaking in late 2021 at close to 300 permits for…
- We Should Be Seen… But Not Heard!The expression “children should be seen and not heard” is an old English proverb. It wasn’t just a saying. They meant it. Children could be present but should not speak, particularly when they are around adults because children are naive and ignorant of adult matters. My, how times haven’t changed. It sounds like Governor Cox…