The City Council meeting on February 27 was a relatively brief one, with a few straightforward plat amendments, some development planning for the Ventana Resort Village, a few infrastructure projects at the Kanab Airport and grant applications for Creek Crossings.
The public comment period was utilized, starting with a report from the DOVE Center rape and sexual assault advocate in Kane County, offering services and care for anyone who has suffered sexual assault or domestic abuse. “Any kind of support we can give the citizens of Kanab, we would love to know what we can do and give help at any time.” She was followed by a report from the Kane County Youth Coalition on the Community of Anti-drug Coalition of America Washington DC trip.
The agenda in earnest began with a straightforward plat amendment on Powell drive for a lot line adjustment, which was followed by a similar item in the Ranchos, splitting a property into two lots - though there was some opposition from neighbors on splitting large lots into smaller lots, stating it set a dangerous precedent of splitting these Ranchos lots. City staff offered a response stating that many of the lots these citizens were concerned about did not meet the street frontage requirement to subdivide. The council ultimately voted to approve - where the applicant was represented by Iron Rock, council member and Iron Rock employee Chris Heaton recused himself to avoid conflict of interest, and with council member Peter Banks absent, the motion passed with three ‘aye’ votes. At the end of the meeting, the citizens who had expressed concerns thanked the council and commented that some of their worries were resolved by the council and staff’s responses.
In a set of items that would take much of the meeting’s time, Iron Rock submitted the final Site Plan for Phase 1 of the Ventana Resort Village. After confirming a few details like easement interactions and trail access in the area, the council unanimously approved the phase 1 site plan. In addition to the road and housing layout, the plan includes trails in the area, amenities like sports and recreation areas, sixty units of attainable housing and the turnabout area where the future phases will connect.
The following item was a subdivision of some of the parcels for townhouses and attainable housing. Council member Scott Colson commented on the planning process that brought this final site plan to fruition, stating, “This information is stuff that we went over for months, as a council, as a planning commission, we’ve spent hours and hours with Iron Rock Engineering and city staff. This is an approval of stuff we’ve seen many times before and we are well aware of … this has been a lot of work that’s been put in to these votes tonight.”
Following the Ventana business, the council moved on to some road maintenance, allocating funds for material and labor for chipsealing roads in the area. According to City Manager Kyler Ludwig, the costs would be up to $415,000 for 10 miles of road this spring. Mayor Johnson asked staff to clarify why some of these specific roads had been chosen where they might be newer and in less need of repair than others in the area; both Ludwig and council member Arlon Chamberlain, who has some experience with this sort of infrastructure construction, emphasized that an early chipseal on a new road is an important preventative measure that preserves the road significantly compared to trying to repair later degradation. The motion passed unanimously.
Following this, the city council continued their discussion on their impact fee schedule, discussing incoming subdivisions like Catori Canyon and various water projects under city purview. Ludwig offered an overview of the impact fees with plans for more in-depth discussion upcoming, and this item was purely informative with no action item necessary.
The following item was a renewed lease agreement for the hangar at the airport, confirming for 20 years, and approved unanimously by the council.
The final item on the agenda was seeking grant funding to bolster the Cedar Heights and Powell crossings over the Kanab Creek. These crossings have a history of some struggles with flooding and culvert drainage, and the city is seeking $7.4 million in grants. The grant would be processed over the next three years, with chances for adjustment should the first proposal be rejected. The city approved the resolution allowing staff to seek this grant money.
After this final item, the council adjourned.
