Fountain Green outlines proposed
buffer zones around municipality
By James Tilson
Sports writer
8-30-2018
FOUNTAIN GREEN—The Fountain Green Planning Commission has proposed a buffer zone around the city that will define the lot sizes for future development and potential annexation into the city.
Brian Allred of the commission presented the proposal to the Fountain Green City Council last Thursday, Aug. 23.
The proposal was developed in response to a directive from the Sanpete County Planning and Zoning Commission to municipalities to develop buffer zones plans and provide them to the county for planning purposes.
The directive was issued in April 2018. Fountain Green has been working on the plan since then, Allen said.
A map of the buffer zone showed two “perimeters” around the city. Land inside the first perimeter would be zoned Residential-Agriculture (RA-1), which requires lots to be a minimum of 6 acres.
Land between the city limits and first perimeter on north side of town would also be available for light industry.
Land between the first and second perimeters would be zoned as Sensitive Land (SL-1 or SL-2). That classification requires lots to be at least 40 acres. The land can be used for either agricultural or residential purposes.
A document accompanying the map explained that the city would not provide water or sewer services to lots in the buffer zone, and developers would be required to provide roads aligning with the city’s current transportation grid.
Allred told the council his commission required 40-acre lots in the outer band of the buffer zone to protect the city water infrastructure; this will reduce the number of wells drilled near the city and avoid depleting water aquifers. He noted that Nephi had also used 40-acre lots in its buffer zone.
Allred also said the plan was only a first step. A public hearing will be held on the proposal, after which, he said, he expected “fine tuning” from the council.
Once completed, the plan could be presented to the county for approval, he said.
The council promised to review the plan and bring it before a public hearing in the near future.
