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
- My Take on Growth, Roads, Water, & MorePDF đź“„Robert MacFarlane, a realtor who pays a lot of attention to local issues and hosts the 435 Podcast sent a questionnaire to all city council candidates in the county. I wrote detailed responses to all seven questions, but they were too big and blew up his online survey form. So I redid those responses as short…
- Land Use Planning, Not Land Use ReactingPDF đź“„Here is why I would vote no on the proposed land use change from Low-Density Residential (LDR) to High-Density Residential (HDR) for the property on Hwy 91 at 800 W (approx.) to be discussed at this Thursday’s City Council meeting. The applicant’s request for R-2-10 zoning may be a reasonable fit for this property…
- Time For A Short-Term Rental Tune Up?PDF đź“„The State Legislature gave cities a little more enforcement power this year through House Bill 256, which outlines clear steps cities can take when short-term rentals (STRs) operate in zones where they aren’t allowed. This includes issuing warnings, requesting that online listings be removed, and imposing fines if violations aren’t corrected. The Legislature didn’t…
- Home Businesses: Draw Some Lines?PDF đź“„It’s interesting how, even after more than three years on city council, I stumble on things that just don’t make sense. Back in 2017, the Utah Legislature passed a law limiting cities from charging license fees for home-based businesses. So, Ivins had to change its city code regarding these fees. But our City Council…
- How To Think About Rezone ProposalsPDF đź“„A proposed zone change is on the City Council’s agenda for the March 6th meeting and there will be a public hearing on this issue (City Hall, 85 N Main Street, meeting starts at 5:30pm). The requested change complies with the Land Use Map. However, the request is for the highest density allowed in…