On a beautiful Saturday morning in June, I attended the IHC Walk Washington County event in Ivins. As we walked through the streets of Ivins, we listened to Mayor Chris Hart explain all the good things that are happening to that community. One thing he said really caught my attention. He explained that the community had determined that it would never be able to attract the same businesses as a community such as St. George or Washington that have a high volume of traffic, but it could become a destination location and attract those businesses and services that would help fulfill that image. With that goal in mind, focus was placed on bringing those businesses that would help fulfill the community's vision to Ivins along with supporting and promoting the businesses that were already a part of the community.
As the City logo states, La Verkin is "The Beautiful Valley" with "A Proud Past" and "A Promising Future." I see great potential in La Verkin to bring businesses into the community that will help expand our tax base and increase revenue. The hotel currently under construction is the start of promoting what I have felt is the most under-utilized intersection in the State of Utah. With the majority of the over 3 million visitors annually to Zion National Park travelling through our community, businesses that attract the tourist dollar should be encouraged to locate within our community along the SR-9 corridor, particularly near the SR-17/SR-9 junction.
We have great resources in Washington County in the Dixie Business Alliance to help us utilize the strengths in our community and bring value-added companies to the area. These are companies that add to the local economy and help it expand. Examples of these types of businesses are manufacturing, customer service or businesses that attract tourism. The Dixie Business Alliance helps connect businesses with locations, provide networking opportunities for small businesses and independent contractors, and aid to businesses starting out. An effective Economic Development Committee in La Verkin could work with this organization to promote the benefits of living and locating in La Verkin.
I was drawn to La Verkin by its rural atmosphere. I wanted to raise my family in an area where we could ride a horse or raise chickens. A place where our family could go for a bike ride and not have to worry about multiple street lights and see cows grazing along our route. I wanted a yard that was large enough that we could have a garden and my children could learn self-sufficiency. I wanted to walk down the street or go to the local market and be greeted by our neighbors and friends. I wanted my children to be in a community where they could play sports for recreation, not just competition; where families gathered in the evening to cheer on a soccer or baseball game. I fell in love with the area, its beauty and recreational opportunities.
I also want these same things for my grandchildren. As my children leave home, I would like them to be able to live close, to find employment that they can enjoy and find fulfillment in doing, to have affordable housing, to share with their children the activities that they have enjoyed. Planned growth will insure that the lifestyle citizens of La Verkin enjoy will be there for all our children. Through planning, the community creates a picture or vision of what the community will look 5, 10 or 15 years from now.
The vision of a community for its future is found in the community's general plan. The General Plan as defined by Utah State Code is: A document that a municipality adopts that sets forth general guidelines for proposed future development of the land within the municipality. (Utah State Code 10-9a) This section of State Code further outlines the process a municipality must use in adopting a general plan. A rule of thumb should be that the General Plan should be referred to frequently, used to prioritize work load and reviewed annually by the Planning Commission. The General Plan should be the guiding document for any land use ordinances passed by the City Council. Furthermore, the General Plan should be updated every five years with a major update or rewrite every 15 years.
So many things have changed in La Verkin and the area in the nine years that our family has lived here. The community has seen an influx of population from many different areas. Parts of the community have been developed and other developments have started and then stopped. New proposals for development are again coming before the Planning Commission and City Council, many with requests for rezoning or other adjustments. Now is the time for a revision of the General Plan. The last updates were adopted in 2010, with previous updates adopted in 2006 and 2000. The Planning Commission is the body that should take the lead in this revision. The citizens of La Verkin should be included in generating ideas through open houses, surveys, focus groups and public comment meetings. All this should be done prior to the drafting or through the drafting process of the General Plan, with a public hearing being held before the Plan is forwarded to the City Council for adoption.
I feel strongly that together the citizens of La Verkin can continue to have this place we call home be "The Beautiful Valley" that brought us here while providing a foundation for future growth.
Click here to link to the current La Verkin City Zoning Map.
Click here to link to the 2006 General Plan adoption. (I could not link to the most recent General Plan because the link on the City website is currently not working as the City's website is being reconstructed.)
