Ivins is working on updating our General Plan and Land Use map. The Planning Commission decided at their March 15th meeting to hold at least a couple community meetings to get input from residents on land use throughout the city. This should happen soon.
Based on recent comments from residents on issues, here are a few things I would like your input on, as well as other issues that matter to you.
Affordable housing
Generally, the denser the housing the more affordable it will be, with lower land cost per unit and less construction cost with common walls between units. Smaller units help too. So that usually gives us townhomes or apartments. There has been resistance from neighbors to both townhomes and apartments. But the State requires us to find a solution to our affordable housing problem. What types of housing can we encourage to add affordability, how do we make them more acceptable to neighbors, and where should they be built?
Commercial development
Sales tax helps fund community improvements and keeps our taxes lower. Do you favor or oppose encouraging commercial growth within the City? What types of commercial uses (retail, dining, office, services, etc.) should be encouraged, and where should we encourage them to be built?
Transportation
With growth comes more traffic. Not only that, but traffic speed seems to be increasing. Share your thoughts about traffic management ideas, bike lanes, our trail system, speed limit changes, road improvements, and other related issues.
Please share your comments and tell me about other Ivins issues I have not addressed in recent posts. CONTACT ME
Recent “Development” posts
- 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…
- Shooting For A Four-Star General PlanA general plan exists to guide decisions about how Ivins should grow, based on our community vision, priorities, and values. It’s important. Really important. Our current plan dates back to 2015 and needs updating. We started that process almost two years ago, in January 2022, with a series of community meetings. That was followed up…