Spanish Valley zoning regulations repeal may appear on ballot

A petition to seek the repeal of new planning and zoning regulations in Spanish Valley has been filed with the San Juan County Clerk.

More than 30 packets bearing the signatures of San Juan County voters were presented to Clerk John David Nielson on January 23.

If Nielson can verify 1,168 of the signers as registered voters, the issue will be placed on the November 2020 general election ballot.

As of February 4, the clerk’s office reports that nearly 850 signatures had been verified.

The petition is an attempt to overturn a November 19, 2019 decision by the San Juan County Commission to implement new planning and zoning guidelines in Spanish Valley, which is adjacent to the booming Moab community.

At the meeting, Commissioners rejected a series of changes recommended by the Planning Commission to a preliminary proposal that had been submitted in September by Landmark Design.

Instead, the Commission implemented the preliminary proposal.
The approved plan split the zoning for a number of existing properties, meaning single properties that had been previously zoned commercial may now be zoned with a portion commercial and a portion residential. 

This raised the ire of many property owners in Spanish Valley and across the county.

Matt Zunick, Renee Trout, John Jackson, Terry Lance, Nancy Campbell, Ryan Ellis, and Lloyd Wilson sponsored the petition. They are all Spanish Valley residents.

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