Ivins Joint Work Meeting Aug 6 2026: Housing Concept

The Ivins City Council and Ivins Planning Commission held a joint work meeting on Thursday, August 6, 2026. According to the posted minutes, the meeting was called to order at 4:00 p.m. and adjourned at 5:04 p.m. It had one discussion item and no land use votes. This summary is based on the city's posted minutes and agenda for the meeting.

Who attended

The minutes list Mayor Kevin Smith; Council Members Mike Scott, Sharon Gillespie, Sharon Barton, Dillon Hurt and Wayne Pennington; Planning Commission Chairperson Perry Brown; and Commission Members Pam Gardiol and Dave Robinson. Staff present were City Manager Chuck Gillette, City Attorney Bryan Pack and City Recorder Kari D. Jimenez. The minutes say all Council Members attended, with Council Member Hurt joining through Zoom, and no one was listed as excused.

Agenda item: “Discussion regarding attainable housing options”

The minutes say City Manager Chuck Gillette introduced a conceptual attainable housing proposal presented by a private developer. He clarified that the proposal was not an official land use or zone change application and was being presented as an additional option for attainable housing while the city continues its Land Use Plan and Map discussions. The minutes also state that this proposal and the potential development of the SITLA (state trust lands) property were independent projects that should be evaluated on the merits of their respective locations.

What the concept showed

Per the minutes, the proposed development is located near Highway 91 and Guy Lane/400 West, next to the future Chinley Park and near the city's planned BLM park, the cemetery and Public Works property. The concept included:

3,000-square-foot lots and 4,000-square-foot lots
Estate lots, intended to provide a buffer along portions of the development
The previously approved 160 Resort Commercial townhome units

The minutes note that limited disturbance was proposed to preserve open space, and that existing and planned transportation connections, nearby parks and an existing bus stop were identified as benefits of the location.

Zoning, agreements and sensitive lands

The City Manager explained that the concept was at a preliminary stage, did not currently conform to the applicable zoning, and that no land use or zone change application had been submitted. He reviewed the existing Comanche Cliffs/Chinley Cliffs settlement agreement that affects a portion of the property and explained that moving forward would require addressing that agreement and setting development standards through a development agreement.

The minutes record discussion of the Sensitive Lands Ordinance and protecting the viewshed. Preliminary topographic information and cross sections were reviewed, and the minutes note that grading could reduce some areas below the applicable sensitive lands slope threshold. Concerns recorded in the minutes included development of the larger estate lots, disturbance limits, building heights, grading, retaining walls, and how visible development would be from Highway 91 and surrounding properties. Potential impacts to an adjacent property, including grading, retaining walls and stormwater drainage, were also discussed. The minutes say stormwater would ultimately be directed toward the planned detention basin near Fitness Way, and that additional engineering would be needed on drainage, detention, sediment control and other technical issues before a development proposal could move forward.

On zoning approaches, the minutes say the presenter initially suggested zoning the whole project Resort Commercial and using a development agreement to restrict uses and set the residential layout. City Attorney Bryan Pack indicated that a development agreement could govern permitted uses and development standards. An alternative was discussed: keeping Resort Commercial zoning for the 160 previously approved townhome units while applying residential zoning to other portions of the property.

Gathering places

The minutes record that the importance of neighborhood gathering areas in new development was raised. Possible neighborhood commercial uses, food truck locations and concessions within or near parks were discussed, while recognizing the challenges of sustaining small commercial businesses in the area.

Next step recorded: a site visit

According to the minutes, the Mayor, City Council and Planning Commission expressed interest in continuing to evaluate the proposal but said that viewing the property was important to understanding potential sensitive lands and viewshed impacts. They supported scheduling a joint work meeting and site visit, set for Thursday, August 20, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. I covered that meeting in the August 20 joint meeting and site visit, and the City Council later acted on Mojave Village on October 15 (see Ivins City Council, October 15, 2026: Mojave Village approved).

Adjournment

Council Member Wayne Pennington moved to adjourn, seconded by Council Member Sharon Gillespie. The minutes record that the motion carried unanimously, with AYE votes from Council Members Scott, Gillespie, Barton, Hurt and Pennington, Chairperson Brown, and Commission Members Gardiol and Robinson. The meeting adjourned at 5:04 p.m.

Source documents

This summary reports only what the cited City of Ivins records state. For the authoritative version, check the official City of Ivins records at ivins.granicus.com, ivinsutah.gov and the Utah Public Notice Website, or contact the Ivins City Recorder at 435-628-0606.

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Robert Bolar
REALTOR® and Global Real Estate Advisor, Summit Sotheby's International Realty, Ivins, Utah
801-737-3333 · Robert@OwnUtah.com