Right On: Not in my backyard

December 6, 2017 Utah Channel 3

OPINION — There are lots of good locations for new public facilities and private developments. But none of them are near my backyard.

“Not in my backyard” is a common homeowner reaction and the bane of those seeking permission to site a facility or development.

Looking back over the last several years in Washington County, NIMBY issues prompted strong and sometimes conflicting responses.

Put on your public official’s hat, take a step back and make a decision that balances individual interests with the greater good in the following cases.

Ivins residents are up in arms about a proposed helicopter landing site at the new, five-star Sentierre Resort adjacent to the Tuacahn amphitheater.

Many of Sentierre’s upscale clients will fly into St. George’s airport located about an hour by car from the resort. Whisking them by helicopter to the resort is faster and adds five-star cachet to the resort experience.

Nearby Ivins residents don’t want low-flying helicopters near their homes. Noise and safety concerns have motivated them to band together to voice their opposition to the Ivins City Council.

So do you support Ivins’ residents? Or are they standing in the path of progress?

I’m with the neighbors on this one. It’s hard to justify resort helicopters as serving the greater public good.

Santa Clara residents are of mixed minds about a proposed 83-acre resort-style development in the South Hills area.

The developers plan to draw bicycle and hiking enthusiasts to an upscale facility targeted at visitors from around the world.

The city’s Economic Development Commission supported the required zone change, saying it saw “tremendous opportunity for having visitors come.” Councilwoman Mary Jo Hafen said, “Have the money come to Santa Clara, not St. George.”

Yet, over 500 residents signed a petition opposing the planned 450 short-term rental units. Some of these folks clearly would not have built or bought nearby had they known what was coming.

So would you go for the tax revenue needed in what is now mostly a bedroom community? Or, like Rockville, would you opt to preserve the small town charm and cut back on city services?

With city leaders supporting the development, I guess I’ll go along with their budget concerns. Something will get built there and residents could do worse than an upscale resort.

Not to be left out, Washington City is wrestling with the prospect of a new Interstate-15 interchange feeding traffic into the city center.

Traffic congestion at the Green Springs exit is endemic and will continue to worsen in coming years. Utah Department of Transportation planners insist that a new interchange is only one option they are considering. Washington City residents are concerned that no other practical solutions exist.

Who doesn’t shop at Walmart, Costco, Home Depot or others of the myriad stores and restaurants within a block or two of the interchange? If it’s not the busiest intersection in the county, it’s painfully close.

But what about the folks living in relatively quiet residential areas near a possible freeway interchange? Should any of us build or buy a home only to find freeway traffic funneled in front of our homes or between our homes and local schools?

The Washington City Council wants to fight. Should they be able to force the rest of us to live with barely tolerable traffic? Or should we hold our tongues and bow to local government control?

I continue to be impressed with both the Utah Department of Transportation and our local transportation authorities’ ability to stay up with – and often ahead of – our road and highway needs. I’m for whatever they determine is the most cost-effective, long-term solution.

St. George isn’t exempt. A city ordinance prohibits residential rental arrangements of less than six months duration. Once again, competing interests, this time between next-door neighbors, make this a controversial topic.

Some homeowners would like to offer their homes, or in some cases a room or two, for rent on websites like Airbnb or VRBO. They could use a few extra bucks and believe a person’s home is their castle.

Their neighbors complain that all too often weekend renters host loud parties with lots of guests at all hours of the night and generally create a nuisance. They claim their property values and their sleep are adversely affected.

St. George continues to enforce its ordinance after fending off a state attempt to override local control on this issue. Some accuse the city of catering to motel owners who compete with short-term home rentals.

Are you OK with letting your neighbors rent out their homes for weekends or a week or two? Or should residential zoning prohibit this semi-commercial activity?

I’m with the city: prohibit short-term rentals.

Proponents of local government control – and I tend to be one of them – may recall Bloomington’s uproar about a drug and alcohol treatment center established there four years ago and then expanded with scant notice earlier this year.

The federal Americans with Disabilities Act, recognizing the NIMBY problem in locating this type of facility anywhere, required St. George to approve it.

In spite of forecasts to the contrary, St. George News found no increase in crime in the neighborhood. A general live-and-let-live attitude has developed with some residents now supporters and others neutral.

None of these are easy calls for local officials. Make your voice heard and not just when your backyard is the one under consideration.

Howard Sierer is an opinion columnist for St. George News. The opinions stated in this article are his own and may not be representative of St. George News.

Email: hsierer@stgeorgeutah.com

Twitter: @STGnews