Dixie Residents Attempt to Kill the Bill

Dixie Land Bill is on the Block in Washington

By Tracy Medley, 11-16-06

Opponents of the Washington County Land Bill have circulating a petition that received at least 1700 signatures and delivered it to Sen. Bob Bennet, in an effort to stall the bill’s progress in Congress.

The Washington County Growth and Conservation Act of 2006, was introduced over the summer by Sen. Bennett and Congressman Jim Matheson and is set for a hearing today on the hill; a last ditch effort to get it passed before the big, bad Dems take control in January.

Dixie is one of the fastest growing areas in the country and some residents fear the bill, which would leave 25,000 acres of public land open for private development, could push the region to its limits. Additionally, the bill also sketches out plans for a new highway route that would cut through the Red Cliffs Desert Preserve, which serves as a tortoise habitat.

On top of the obvious environmental concerns and fears of ill-conceived urban sprawl, there are also some sketchy financial issues involved in the deal. Commissioner Alan Gardner along with his brother Larry, a member of the St. George City Council stand to gain significant cash, should the bill pass.

Commissioner Gardner, who had a hand in drafting the legislation told Christopher Smart of The Salt Lake Tribune, “We don’t anticipate that it would all become rooftops, but we do need to broaden our tax base and this resolves a lot of issues.” But, according to The Tribune both Gardner brothers have a financial stake in the expansion of the Ledges housing development in St. George. They also own the land next to the Red Cliffs Desert Preserve, where the proposed highway would be built.

Conflicts of interests aside, most Dixie citizens feel the bill is a bad idea that could leave them overcrowded and their infrastructure overstretched.

Lin Alder, a Realtor from Springdale and head of the group, Citizens for Dixie’s Future told The Tribune, “The bill was dreamed up by a select few and is not a community plan. That’s why the community doesn’t buy it.”
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