IVINS — With little debate or public comment, changes unanimously approved by the Ivins City Council on Thursday have effectively banned the construction of new golf courses and automated tunnel car washes.
Update May 12, 2:30 p.m. Updated with comments from co-owner of Tagg-N-Go.
The new table of uses, which is used to show what type of development or use of land is permitted in each zoning district, has been changed to specify that car washes where “the vehicle is pulled through a tunnel car wash and dried with large, loud driers at the end” are not permitted in the city of Ivins.
Currently, Ivins has multiple businesses that provide hand-wash and detail service for vehicles but no automated car washes. The nearest, a Tagg-N-Go Express Car Wash, is on Pioneer Parkway in neighboring Santa Clara.
In a statement to St. George News, Tagg-N-Go co-owner Quinn Allgood said he was disappointed with the decision.
“I understand that most people believe there are too many car washes in Washington but the fact is that by banning any type of business is a problem. We should always be pro business and look for ways to work with businesses instead of banning businesses,” Allgood said. “The fact is that Ivins never reached out to any car wash in Southern Utah to ask them about their opinions or solutions. As someone that has lived here my whole life I have seen growth and have witnessed the pros and cons. However the way that Ivins handled this is very worrisome and concerning.”
The 4-0 vote, with council member Mike Scott absent, was mostly debated at the council’s last meeting on April 21. The changes were open to public comment at the Thursday meeting, but no members of the public came to speak on it.
The table of uses also removed golf courses entirely as a permitted use in the city.
The change doesn’t affect existing golf courses or those under construction, including the 18-hole course under construction as part of the Black Desert Resort, which is more than 70% complete.
While the council did not mention water conversation before voting on Thursday, it was debated during discussion of the move during the April 21 meeting with Scott mentioning that Southern Utah has “too many car washes” and council member Lance Anderson saying that a car wash ban may be going too far as many automatic car washes have water recirculation systems.
Allgood said car washes aren’t causing the water deficit.
“Water is an issue and professional car washes are doing their part to conserve water. To put the blame on one or two different industries is an insult,” Allgood said. “Car washes are not the problem and we have taken huge strides within our industry to take care of our precious resources.”
Budget tentatively approved
Also at Thursday’s meeting at Ivins City Hall, the council tentatively approved the city’s fiscal 2023 budget, which has $10,103,746 in projected revenue and $10,103,746 in expenditures.
The move opens the budget to a public hearing, likely at the council’s next meeting on May 19.
The budget, which can be seen here, includes $3.4 million toward improving and widening Old Dixie Highway 91 in the city, as well as $335,000 for a new street sweeper, $300,000 for a new public works yard, $150,000 for the expansion of the city cemetery, and $175,000 for the ongoing remodel of the old Ivins City Hall as a new headquarters for the Santa Clara-Ivins Police Department.
City leaders and council members used the budget approval moment to note that the city’s growth is what makes it possible for the budget to be $2 million higher than last year with no increase to property taxes.
“Does growth create value? When I moved here, there were dirt roads, and when it rained, water ran down to roads,” council member Lance Anderson said. “So with the growth come improvements.”
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.