Spring City votes to consider buffer zone changes

SPRING CITY— The Spring City Council voted 4- 1 during a packed meeting last Thursday May 6 meeting to begin a dialogue with the county about changing the zoning in the county-controlled buffer zone.

The current buffer zone extends a mile and a half beyond the Spring City limits. Since it is in the county, any change in zoning laws must first be approved by the county commission.

What, exactly, is the city council asking the county to change? There are multiple components, but one change in particular drew attention during the city council meeting: The potential of half-acre lots in the buffer zone.

Currently, the buffer zone is zoned Residential-Agricultural-2 (RA-2), with the minimum lot size of 1 acre. Spring City is proposing to establish a Residential-Agricultural -1 zone 1 (RA-1) extending 1,000 feet from city limits around about three-fourths of the city. (See map).

The minimum lot size in RA-1 (a county zoning classification) is a half-acre. In the Spring City Council’s proposal, everything outside of the RA-1 ring would remain RA-2.

In its written proposal, available on the Utah Public Notice website, Spring City also asks the county to put more controls on growth. The proposal says the half-acre lots should only be allowed “if there is the ability to connect to the city waste-water system. If unable or unwilling to connect to the city waste-water system, then the minimum lot size will be 1 acre,” the proposal reads.

 

Further modifications include requiring “plans for subdivision in the RA-1 section [to] include roads that align with and adhere to the Spring City road grid system…” Currently, such controls do not exist in the buffer zone around Spring City.

In an interview a few days after the council meeting, Randy Strate, Spring City councilman and author of the proposal, said another control could be included in the proposal: Requiring that 50% of the lots in the RA-1 zone be 1 acre.

It’s important to note the proposal has not yet been presented to the county commission. The city council vote on March 6 was to give Strate approval to take the proposal to the county.

Since the buffer zone is under county control, it creates a complex situation where Spring City must get approval from the county commission to change its own city code, according to Councilman Strate. “We would only have more say [in the buffer zone] if the county commissioners agree,” he said in his interview with the Messenger.

Getting the county commissioners to agree to the zoning changes and controls requires a series of approvals, according to Steven Jensen, Sanpete County zoning administrator. After Spring City gets on the county commission agenda and discusses the proposal, the commissioners can decide to send the proposal to the county Planning and Zoning Commission or deny it outright. If sent to planning and zoning, there will be a public hearing.

Next, Planning and Zoning discusses the proposal and sends it back to the commissioners with a recommendation for approval or denial. Before the commission takes up the issue, there will be another public hearing.

Finally, the county commission will vote on any zoning changes in the Spring City buffer zone. Due to public notice laws, the process would take, at minimum, three to four months.

Only after the county approval process can Spring City initiate changes to its own code, which requires another public hearing.

Prior to the city council vote, many citizens made comments opposing half-acre lots in the buffer zone.

Jim Baker read a letter from JaeLynn Williams: “The proposal to allow for half-acre lots…in the buffer zone would permanently alter Spring City’s identity. It would increase density, strain resources like water and shift the city from a historic preservation and arts destination to another small town with unchecked development.

“This change affects everyone, lifelong residents who cherish Spring City’s rural character and open spaces, preservationists who have worked to protect its historic integrity, artists who have helped revitalize the town culturally and economically, and families who have sought Spring City for its peace, authenticity and sense of community. Over development would erase the qualities that make the Spring City unique, leaving little reason for people to seek it out…”

After about two hours of public comment, Councilman Strate said, “The city obviously has some challenges with…infrastructure costs, with growth, and (with) things…getting more expensive. The cost for Spring City to operate is a challenge…That’s a fact.”

“Some of the challenges [are recognized] in the general plan, that the city has cost issues that need to be addressed, and it outlines several things that could be considered, [but] nothing gets done…,” he said.

“ …I think we have to start down the road of at least looking at a proposal,” he added. “That’s what’s on the agenda tonight—whether the city council supports moving a proposal to the county…to start the process [of changing the zoning]… I understand both sides… but we have to do something. We have to address the challenges of this community, that’s what this group is charged to do.”