Shaping upcoming changes

Article published Jan 6, 2008

The Spectrum, St. George, Utah 

It seems that change is coming to Southern Utah from all directions. Our region's beautiful scenery, clean air, warm climate, world-class recreation, low crime rates and attractive communities draw people from around the country.

Most people agree that we cannot stop the new development that is happening all over Washington County. The existing 250,000 acres of privately-owned land in the county make new development and change almost inevitable. However, we can shape the way our communities respond to demands for change and new development. The question of how to protect what we love about our communities and preserve our incredible natural environment while maintaining satisfying and well-paying jobs for our citizens, is surely the $64 million query.

Most residents of South-ern Utah will also agree that we cannot rely on the federal or state governments to protect and invigorate the places we live. Lasting results will only come from within, from the actions of the individuals and institutions which make up our communities.

There are numerous tools used by other communities to accommodate growth while protecting their values. With smarter growth, we could decrease our reliance on motor vehicles, which can reduce fuel costs and emissions, in addition to the need for more roadways. Higher density developments can allow more open space and a higher quality of life for residents.

The standard zoning used by our towns separates land uses into distinct zones for residential, commercial and industrial uses. With this type of zoning, conventional developments are characterized by very low densities, singular land use, and little or no public transportation, which fosters a greater reliance on motor vehicles. As development grows more dispersed, people must drive farther to reach their destinations where public transportation is not available. In addition, this type of development requires more impervious surfaces, such as roadways and parking lots, which increase pollutant runoff into our water systems.

In contrast, compact developments are built at gross densities comparable to conventional developments, but leave more open space by reducing lot sizes. The total square footages and building capacities might remain the same, but compact clusters reduce the dimensions of individual lots and shorten road lengths, and therefore less infrastructure costs saves us additional taxes.

In large-lot developments, private lots make up most of the subdivision. In compact developments, private lots make up a smaller part of the total land area. This could allow for more than half the land area to remain in its natural state. One of the main conservation advantages of compact developments is that they do not take development potential away from developers, since they change the arrangement but not the number of units permitted on the property. Zoning for compact developments would require a certain amount of open space for each development, roadway width, and lot size. Compact development also provides a commercial benefit by allowing many dwelling units to border open space; these generally have higher property values and sell faster.

If smarter growth is implemented, we could have lower taxes, more open space, more water, cleaner air, a greater mix of land uses, less dependence on automobiles and we could preserve our scenic landscapes. These are big challenges and we now have a great opportunity to shape how our communities will change and grow.

Jeff Feldman resides in Ivins. He currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Santa Clara River Reserve and Citizens for Dixie's Future.