council, commercial, high density Housing

Written By Kathy Bence

by lori cole

Ducks at Grandpa’s Pond by Lori Cole

It was a disappointing turnout for a regular business meeting, but I’ll admit that the agenda hadn’t seemed very controversial. I’ve never seen so few audience members in attendance, and it turns out, the few who were there (besides me) were only there to represent developers and to push for high-density housing.

I was wrong about the agenda being benign: The citizens were within a 3 to 2 vote of losing what was outlined in the General Plan, and what most of us said we wanted with regard to general growth, commercial zoning, tax base opportunities, and limited residential growth.

Preview of agenda items to come

I refer to Agenda Business Item G1: Discussion and possible action on a General Plan Amendment. Application submitted by Jason Harris of Fieldstone Homes. Fieldstone, as a potential partner with the Boulder Ridge developers, wants to build residential homes in the area that Toquerville has zoned commercial.

More on this later. First, other items discussed during the meeting:

candidates

City Election Nov 4, 2025: Last Friday was the deadline to declare candidacy for mayor and three open city council seats.  Maintaining our precious way of life has never required more protection. I hope we will vet each candidate, checking that their beliefs align with what is in the best interest of Toquerville and most of its citizens, rather than simply advancing a personal agenda and/or creating wealth for developers at taxpayers' expense.

Tracking incidents

Toquerville City website update: A law enforcement incident summary has been added! Every quarter, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office will provide an update detailing the types and locations of calls. The information can help us identify potential problem areas and allocate resources. 

water tank levels

City Water Tank levels have dropped and the city hired a contractor to investigate. As of the meeting date, no cause had been identified.  

beware the legislature

Utah State Legislature: The city manager reported that he is watching the Utah Legislature which is currently holding interim committee meetings. There may be a Special Legislative Session later this summer.  Two items that may impact Toquerville City are discussions of municipal revenue (transportation & utility fees) and PROPERTY TAX changes. 

It is not enough to keep a watchful eye on how our city leaders react to state legislation; we must pay attention to what our Utah legislators are doing even after the regular legislative session is over. Our silence is consent.

Sapp Brothers

Sapp Bros (the truck stop at Anderson Junction) is still working with UDOT on the traffic light that they need to install. They are planning to open by fall.

Bypass

Toquerville Parkway: The UDOT is prepared to sign off on the sand pocket mitigation, and the work on the north side of the “south cut” (Hwy 17 by Cholla) is almost done.

It should take another 1 ½ to 2 ½ months to finish the south entrance/exit, the lane striping, and the construction of the north end tie-in. As soon as the tie-in is done, traffic will be sent down the parkway, at least temporarily.  As of yet, there is no date set for the parkway to officially open.

PUBLIC HEARING for General Plan Amendment

Boulder Ridge Developers asked the City Council to amend the General Plan to allow Business/Commercial to be rezoned to residential. Rick Caldwell, a partner with Jerry Eves on the Boulder Ridge Project, complained that hotels, convenience stores, and other “retail” elements of the planned development are proving difficult to entice to the area due to the lack of “rooftops” within a few miles of the proposed commercial zone. He said that the commercial interests do not consider the easy access and visibility from I-15 to be enough incentive to build here – they want to see another 350+ residential homes (“rooftops”) added.

The public hearing starts here on YouTube and a lengthy discussion follows until the vote.

Caldwell stated that they have two hotels and a “Maverick” as prospective tenants lined up, but the lack of residential units in the area is a problem, hence their re-zoning request.

Because of the commercial challenge, Boulder Ridge has reached out to a home builder whom they believe will build a good product, and they named Jason Harris and Fieldstone Homes. He wants to build 12 units per acre, which councilmen Joey mentioned is not in line with city code, which is 10 units per acre. Mr. Harris also spoke during the hearing, supporting his interest in the project. NOTED: Rick Caldwell revealed he has had a long-time “association” with Fieldstone for 20 years.

Lori’s 2 cents and the verdict

My 2 cents: I thought Boulder Ridge was the carved-out location for Toquerville’s commercial tax base.  I have heard people talking about it as a Business Park and Industrial Park that will provide much-needed support for Toquerville. Now, the developers are asking to go back on the planned commercial development to build more residential homes (quick $$$$?) rather than following through with the extended build-up/build-out of commercial development as guided by the General Plan.

“Maverick”? “Marriott”? Really? Next thing they’ll say is we should put another 4 or 5 RV parks out there. Why, exactly, are “rooftops” needed within a certain radius of businesses that will be supported by highway traffic and tourism?

According to their argument, even if all of Boulder Ridge were re-zoned residential, they would still need more houses than they could put on that site to reach the goal of “rooftops” to entice retail.

“Rooftop” (property) taxes cannot support infrastructure, hence the situation we find ourselves in now, asking property owners to bear the full burden of city government, roads, sewers, etc.  Boulder Ridge could be one of the biggest industrial parks in southern Utah, but if we fill it with houses, then what?  And where will Toquerville get the money for all the police, fire, public works departments, and public school services required for the additional residential build-out?  Those services will be paid for on the backs of already over-burdened Toquerville property owners.

The General Plan – the residents indicated they wanted the Boulder Ridge area to be commercial. Where will the commercial go if not there?

Mayor Sip appeared to advocate giving in to the developer’s request for rezoning, which was disappointing, as the request went against the express wishes of Toquerville residents and was not necessarily in the best interest of Toquerville City.  He said, “I’m concerned what other possibilities the developer could do on this land if we don’t work with them.” 

Apparently, working with developers means giving them the rezoning they want. Mayor Sip commented that a Washington County Commissioner had recently called him and threatened to “de-annex” from Toquerville. (Really?!)

Ultimately, the City Council voted 3-2 against the General Plan Amendment Application. Council members Gary Chaves, Wayne Olson and Joey Campbell voted against this application that would have resulted in rezoning to bring in high density housing in the commercial zone.

There was an extensive and important discussion on the amendment request, and I urge each of you to watch the conversation on YouTube.  It represents two near-opposing views of Toquerville’s future, and residents can ill afford to disregard the importance of such a discussion.

There was also an interesting discussion on “affordable housing” and “high-density” housing, worker housing, and the definitions of “affordable.”  Watching the discussion is well worth your time.

Prior to the vote, I think Councilman Gary Chaves did a great job of summarizing the issue. Councilman Wayne Olson said, “We created this (commercial zone) to create revenue and we’d be throwing it away.”

supporting the browse solar project

There was a discussion on a resolution supporting the Browse Solar Project. The discussion begins here.

This was not related to a previous consideration that would have allowed Toquerville ownership in the solar company. That is now a moot point. Ultimately, the council accepted this resolution to support (not financially) the Browse Solar Project.

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Kathy Bence
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