2007 MPLEMENTATION I VISION DIXIE ii CON C LUSION STRATAGIES THE VISION PRIN C IPLES SC ENARIOS INTRO D U C TION We Support Vision Dixie! INTRODUCT Business Brokerage, BuilderServices I ON Land, Commercial, Leasing, Vision Dixie 2035: Land-Use & Transportation Vision Transportation Dixie2035:Land-Use& Vision Vision Dixie 2035: Land-Use & Transportation Vision iii VISION DIXIE PARTNERS I NTRO Washington County gratefully thanks the following funders and partners of Vision Dixie, a true D public/private partnership. Without their generosity and leadership, Vision Dixie would not have U C taken place. Working together, we can accomplish great things. TION Brent and Bonnie Jean Beesley Foundation Bureau of Land Management Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Foundation S Clyde Companies, Inc. C ENARIOS Coldwell Banker Commercial KGA Dixie MPO Dixie State College George S. & Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation Entrada at Snow Canyon Country Club Envision Utah V P Five County Association of Governments ISION RIN Governors Office of Planning and Budget C D IPLES Habitat Conservation Plan IXIE Hurricane City Corporation Ivins City Corporation LaVerkin City Corporation Park City Center for Public Policy Questar T HE St. George Chamber of Commerce V ISION St. George City Santa Clara City Corporation State and Institutional Trust Lands Administration Southern Utah Homebuilders Association Southern Utah Realtors Association I MPLEMENTATION Sunroc S Tanner Charitable Trust TRATAGIES The Nature Conservancy Utah Department of Transportation Washington City Corporation We Support Vision Dixie! Washington County Washington County Water Conservancy District Washington County Economic Development Council C ON Zions Bank C LUSION Washington County also thanks Coldwell Banker Commercial KGA, Meridian GIS, Sunroc, and Zions Bank for sponsoring the design, printing and distribution of this report. iv Vision Dixie 2035: Land-Use & Transportation Vision VISION DIXIE STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS Commissioner James Eardley, Chair* Washington County Water Conservancy District TION C Washington County Commission Edna Hunt, private citizen U D Lin Alder, Executive Director Jeri Iverson, Board Member NTRO Citizens for Dixie’s Future Washington County Farm Bureau I Gil Almquist, Planning Commissioner Lorri Kocinski-Puchlik*, Independent Marketing City of St. George Consulting, Southwest Federal Credit Union and Coldwell Banker Commercial KGA John Andrews*, Associate Director SITLA Kayla Koeber, CFP, Wealth Management Adviser Merrill Lynch Brad Barber*, Representative ENARIOS Park City Center for Public Policy Dave Livermore*, Executive Director C The Nature Conservancy S Mayor Daren Barney Ivins City Mayor Dan McGuire Rockville Russell Behrmann, President St. George Area Chamber Jeff Morby, owner Mayor Lee Bracken Holiday Resort Realty IXIE Enterprise IPLES D Marc Mortensen*, Assistant to City Manager C Lee Caldwell*, President City of St. George RIN ISION P V Dixie State College Doug Paddock, Realtor Mayor Terrill Clove* Quality Realty Washington City Kent Perkins, Leisure Service Director Jim Crisp*, Field Office Manager City of St. George Bureau of Land Management - St. George Mayor Rick Rosenberg* ISION Commissioner Denny Drake* Santa Clara City V Washington County Commission HE Carol Sapp, Executive Director T Mike Empey, Field Representative Southern Utah Home Builders Association Office of Congressman Jim Matheson Ken Sizemore, Executive Director Gary Esplin*, City Manager Five County Assoc. of Governments City of St. George Donald Stratton, President Commissioner Alan Gardner* Interstate Rock Products Washington County Commission Ron Thompson*, General Manager Judy Gubler, City Manager TRATAGIES Washington County Water Conservancy District S Ivins City MPLEMENTATION I Dal Hawks, Director of Region IV Donnie Welch, Publisher UDOT The Spectrum Scott Hirschi, Econ. Development Director Jane Whalen, Realtor St. George County Coldwell Banker Premier Reality Mayor Tom Hirschi* Mayor Karl Wilson* LUSION C Hurricane City La Verkin ON C Barbara Hjelle, Asst. General Manager * = Executive Committee Members Vision Dixie 2035: Land-Use & Transportation Vision v TABLE OF CONTENTS I NTRO INTRO D U C TION . .1 D U SC ENARIOS . 3 C TION VISION DIXIE PRIN C IPLES . 9 Plan Regionally, Implement Locally. 9 Maintain Air and Water Quality and Conserve Water . 9 S Guard Our ‘Signature’ Scenic Landscapes. 9 C ENARIOS Provide Rich, Connected Natural Recreation and Open Space. 10 Build Balanced Transportation . 10 Get ‘Centered’ by Focusing Growth on Walkable, Mixed-Use Centers. .11 Direct Growth Inward. .11 Provide a Broad Range of Housing Types . 12 V P ISION Reserve Key Areas for Industry to Grow the Economic Pie . 12 RIN C D Focused Public Land Conversion. 12 IPLES IXIE THE VISION SC ENARIO . 13 SC ENARIO MAPS . 14 IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES . 17 T HE Principle 1 - Plan Regionally, Implement Locally. 17 V ISION Principle 2 - Conserve Water and Maintain Air and Water Quality . 19 Principle 3 - Guard Our “Signature” Scenic Landscapes . 21 Principle 4 - Provide Rich, Connected Natural Recreation and Open Space. 25 I MPLEMENTATION Principle 5 - Build Balanced Transportation . 26 S TRATAGIES Principle 6 - Get “Centered” by Focusing Growth on Walkable, Mixed-Use Centers. 31 Principle 7 - Direct Growth Inward. .33 Principle 8 - Provide a Broad Range of Housing Types . 34 Principle 9 - Reserve Key Areas For Industry to Grow the Economic Pie. .38 C ON Principle 10 - Focused Public Land Conversion Should Sustain C Community Goals and Preserve Critical Lands. 38 LUSION CON C LUSION . 41 Vision Dixie 2035: Land-Use & Transportation Vision 1 NTRODUCT I ON I I I NTRO NTRO A HISTORIC PROCESS D D Vision Dixie is a historic effort by leaders throughout Washington U U C C TION County to build a vision for tomorrow based on the ideas and values TION of county residents. Through Vision Dixie, over three thousand residents created a framework in which future development and transportation work together to create communities, and a region, that preserve Southern Utah’s quality of life, along with an affordable, livable future. The public preferences are summarized in a series of Vision Dixie Principles and in a Vision scenario – a picture that illus- S C trates one way growth might occur if we all work together and adopt ENARIOS the principles that were identified by this process. The Vision Dixie Principles provide a framework for voluntary imple- mentation. Local officials work with residents to determine how these 3,000 residents participated in Vision Dixie principles fit with local plans for the future. Dixie’s vision can only be realized if we all work toward the same goals, adhere to them, and How Will We Grow? measure our progress. According to the U.S. Census, Washington County’s popula- V P ISION tion has nearly doubled in size during each of the past three RIN WE FUNCTION A S A REGION decades (1970 to 2000). According to some projections, the C D IPLES As the various communities in Washington County grow, decisions by county’s population may triple in the next 30 years. Although IXIE one community may affect others—regional thinking and action are no one can predict the county’s growth with certainty, a sub- essential to successful economic development. For better or worse, stantial level of growth is certain. How we choose to guide we have become a Metropolitan region— our daily patterns are growth will literally define the future of Washington County. regional: we live in one municipality, work and run errands in another, visit our friends in a third, and enjoy beautiful trails in a fourth! T Firms seeking to relocate or expand are looking for healthy regions HE with efficient transportation infrastructure and strong education sys- V tems. They value affordable ISION housing near employment; a vibrant urban core; and strong cultural and recreational amenities. Increasingly busi- I nesses are choosing to cluster MPLEMENTATION in metropolitan areas where S TRATAGIES they can draw upon regional resources, such as transporta- tion, infrastructure, research and technology, skilled labor, and supplier networks. If we want to continue to be an attractive place to live and C work, there must be coopera- ON tion and collaboration among C LUSION business, government and INTRODUCTION Vision Dixie 2035: Land-Use & Transportation Vision 2 communities. This is a dilemma because while our challenges are re- Based on the citizen input gathered through the Dialogue meetings, gional, our units of government operate locally. However, if we have a on-line surveys, and independent polling, the Steering Committee common vision for our future, we can overcome this hurdle by working established ten Vision Dixie Principles. together on shared objectives for a bright tomorrow. A Vision Scenario was then created to illustrate one way the county VISIONING PROCESS OV ER V IE W might grow if we all follow the Principles. The Principles and the On October 18, 2006, nearly 400 residents launched Vision Dixie, Vision can guide elected officials and local residents as they make and this kick-off received extensive media exposure. Sponsored by key decisions regarding general plans, zoning and development the Washington County Commission, Vision Dixie was a countywide proposals. Local governments will, as always, retain control over process of workshops, technical research and analysis. their planning processes, and each community will implement the Principles according to its unique circumstances and goals.