Blanding city approves grant for reservoir path, talk R2 zoning

Blanding city council members received a grant for a walking path, got an update on water and reviewed R2 zoning at their latest meeting.
Members of the Blanding city council approved receipt of a grant to fund the fourth reservoir walking path project at the May 27 meeting. The city accepted $438,000 from the Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant. The city match includes an $80,000 cash match and a $30,000 in-kind match with the city looking to increase the in-kind contribution. City staff also explained with the contract in hand design work should begin immediately with a timeline hopeful to finish the project by the end of 2025.
Members of the city council also held an extensive conversation about proposed changes by the planning commission to the city R2 residential zone.
Among the proposals include reducing the minimum accessory dwelling unit (ADU) size to 256 square feet.
Reducing minimum lot areas to 4,500 square feet and width to allow for higher density as well as simplifying setbacks to seven feet.
Removing size limits on accessory buildings allowing large structures like garages as long as overall lot coverage is less than 50-percent.
A section permitting private and shared drives maintained by property owners to allow for subdividing of larger R2 lots without city street construction.
Modifying multi-family builds open space rules to apply only to developments with eight or more units, as part of that discussion a proposal would allow developers of larger units to buy-out of open space with those funds going towards city parks.
Another proposal would remove hospitals as an allowable use in R2 zoning.
While the above proposals received feedback from the council two other proposals were subject to more discussion.
A proposal to remove professional offices from permitted R2 uses raised concerns by council members about being potentially too restrictive hindering businesses like law or dental offices. The council requested a definition of professional office. One potential solution would allow business offices in R2 zones adjacent to commercial zones.
Another proposal to remove temporary conditional uses brought out concerns from the council related to housing as the provision allows RVs and trailers on properties during construction. Council members shared concerns that the provision being removed too soon could result in more displacement of residents. Among the suggestions included clarification on definitions and exploring regulations for temporary rental homes like Airbnbs.
Feedback given by the council will be taken back for further discussion by the planning commission as the ordinance update process proceeds forward.
Members of the city also received a water report from city Engineer Patrick Parsons. Parsons indicated that the city is in the yellow color-coded level of the city drought monitoring with precipitation about 59-percent of the median for the year. Parsons warned that the city may need to re-evaluate for an orange status if conditions persist.
In other water news Parsons shared that a 24-hour constant rate test was scheduled to run the well at 300 gallons per minute to assess its performance, drawdown and recovery rate. A successful test would result in work moving forward on the wellhouse facility. The city also shared Well 2 has been repaired.
Other city projects include the sewer master plan still being developed, the feasibility of running a gas line to the Energy Fuels mill and a successful annual inspection of the city’s dams.
At the meeting the city also decided against directly selling products from Bear Ears Farms at the city visitor center containing trace THC due to complex licensing, age verification, and tracking requirements for the city. The city shares they’ll instead promote the farm through brochures.