Washington County

Vision Dixie report calls for smart growth, not sprawl

Paper's the result of two years of study and input from 3,000 Washington County residents

By Mark Havnes

The Salt Lake Tribune

Article Last Updated: 01/10/2008 01:44:20 AM MST

ST. GEORGE - The final report from Vision Dixie is out, and smart - or at least smarter - growth is in.

Clustered developments. Protected open spaces. Enhanced walkability.

Those smart-growth principles and more are found in the planning document, which details how to

guide growth in booming Washington County in order to preserve the region's natural wonders and

quality of life.

Now it's up to the county, cities and others to heed the suggestions.

"It's time for action," said Envision Utah's Ted Knowlton, who managed the Dixie project.

Knowlton unveiled the 48-page document in St. George on Wednesday before about 200 people. To

"If you don't know where you're going, you'll end up somewhere else," he said. "And that is what

this document is about - in a nutshell."

The report is the product of nearly two years of work with input from about 3,000 residents hailing

from communities sprinkled across the southwestern Utah county.

Knowlton noted that Washington County's rapid growth made this planning effort even more urgent.

"They definitely have growing pains," he said.

Lin Alder, a member of the Vision Dixie steering committee, notes the final report represents a

departure from the region's sprawling growth patterns.

"I'm hoping now that the implementation committee is successful," Alder said. "I don't want to see

the [project] fade into a meaningless report just sitting on a shelf."

Robert Amoroso, who participated in the project after moving to St. George six years ago from

Connecticut, welcomed Vision Dixie's report.

"It's still too early to be definitive," he said. "But it's a start."

mhavnes@sltrib.com

The report's recommendations

Vision Dixie's final report urges communities to:

* Plan regionally and implement locally.

* Conserve water and maintain air quality.

* Guard signature landscapes.

* Preserve and connect open spaces.

* Reuse areas already developed.

* Build a balanced transportation system with something for everybody.

* Focus growth on walkable, mixed-use centers near housing, stores, transit and

important roads.

* Provide a broad range of housing.

* Reserve certain areas for industry.

The full report can be found at www.visiondixie.org