Home Care In Springdale, UT

ST. GEORGE — The future of a beloved community park in Springdale is under examination, as potential changes may be coming.

Springdale Town Council members are encouraging residents to weigh in on possible changes to the George A. Barker River Park at 1751 Zion Park Boulevard.

Officials recently sent out a survey and posted it on the town’s website. There will be an Open House on Tuesday, Oct. 26, at the Springdale Community Center. The design firm will have a few options of elements that could be added to the park.

“The residents — they love the park. It’s just a great place. I go there twice a day. My dog likes to take me for a walk,” town councilman Jack Burns told St. George News. “It’s a great opportunity to meet people who live in the community you normally may not run into. I frequently engage in conversation with community members that I normally wouldn’t.”

Burns said the purchase of just under an acre of adjacent land and the need for a smoother parking experience is triggering the consideration of changes to the park. The park borders the Virgin River to the east before the Chevron station heading toward Zion National Park. Some of the park on the west side is along Zion Park Boulevard. The park, including the expansion, encompasses 3 acres.

The additional land was purchased for about $600,000 and is located between the park and a group of townhomes. The land was paid through existing park impact fees collected over the years.

Director of Parks and Recreation for Springdale Ryan Gubler agreed the park is a very special place for residents.

“It’s a way for them to find a place of peace and solitude when dealing with the hustle and bustle of living in a tourist town like Springdale,” Gubler told St. George News. “It allows them to get away and get close to the river and get close to nature.”

Burns said after all of the public input is compiled, it will be analyzed and summarized by the consulting firm, Assist, the town is working with.

In earlier held public forums, Burns said residents along with the Town Council, staff and planning commissioners shared their ideas on how to improve the park.

“It was a great workshop and Assist had different types of park development examples, some that they’ve been involved in and then other examples that had a real wide range of keeping areas more natural to a more urban setting,” Burns said.

Some park amenities could include signage, benches, walking paths and tables. Burns said the community will have a chance to weigh in on those things at the Open House and in the survey.

Burns said the necessary improvements to discuss are improving parking flow at the park and updating the restrooms.

Gubler added that town officials value the input of residents. He said it makes them more efficient when the community engages in the process of improving the park. He said he hopes people will come and ask any questions they may have at the Open House.

“Quite frankly, the residents have got some really great ideas,” Gubler said. “They’re the ones that spend time in the park and it’s their park, and so for us to be able to tap into that resource is really valuable for us.”

There is one other park in town located next to the community center. That small park has a gazebo, picnic tables and barbecue grills near the pickleball court area.

Comments concerning the George A. Barker River Park also may be sent by email at this link.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

ST. GEORGE — After grappling with housing issues for years, Springdale opened a new door for workforce housing during a Town Council meeting in June. But while the revised workforce overlay zone ordinance increases housing density, there are some strings attached.

Each housing project would require at least 75% of the occupants to work in town or for Zion National Park. And Tom Dansie, community development director, told St. George News that each applicant would be considered on a case-by-case basis.

The Planning Commission recommended the ordinance not be approved. But after holding a public hearing, the Town Council passed it.

Dansie said a special committee had done extensive research and received public input on workforce housing over the last 18 months, adding that a survey released earlier this year showed some residents are open to denser housing for workers facing the town’s housing crunch.

The revised ordinance would allow the density in the workforce housing overlay zone to hold up to 16 units per acre if the project is developed with multifamily units, Dansie said. For projects designed with single-family or duplex units, the allowance is up to eight units per acre.

“That is a lot of density for Springdale,” Dansie said. “That’s about the same density that we allow in our most intense and dense commercial zone. And so that’s — by Springdale standards — pretty dense. And so there were a lot of concerns about what that kind of density would mean placed adjacent to other lower density residential uses.”

But Dansie noted that because it is a zone change process, it’s not a guarantee that the project will be approved or if it will be approved at that maximum density.

“Each project is evaluated on its own merits and may or may not be approved based on the benefit it would provide to the community and the impacts it would create on surrounding existing residential uses and residences,” he said.

Some people at the public hearing were not on board with the potential of higher-density housing. Community member Brad Luizzi said the town already needed help handling some infrastructure like sewers and that adding more housing would be too much. Luizzi said he felt homeowners shouldn’t be on the hook for the zoning consequences.

“I don’t think it’s the homeowners’ responsibility to bear the brunt. Just because some business owners would like to import cheap labor,” Luizzi said. “That’s basically what’s happening here. It seems like business owners want cheap labor; they don’t want to have any ideas or creativity or incentives to attract their workers.”

Another resident who addressed the council, Louise Excell, said she has lived in Springdale for over three-quarters of a century and has noticed a loss of the quality of life due to the town growing. But she said she understands that housing is needed for workers. Excell has read some letters sent to the town government where residents blamed the workers.

“I think blaming workers is a little bit misdirected,” she said. “Residents should have been complaining to the Town Council about the overly permissive development, transient lodging, for example, which is the real reason most of us are feeling crowded and congested.”

Excell added that a little more density should be fine. She cited the Redhawk Apartments as a successful workforce-housing location and added that she’d rather have resident workers living next door than transient lodging.

“I think we want a community. We want a really functioning community where people are happy and they’re living and working there,” Excell said. “They know the other people in their town and people will appreciate them for what they do. I know I appreciate my renters for what they do in town, and I know that they’re right in town working.”

Another woman, Ashlyn Kirkpatrick, who works for Zion National Park, said that “by some miracle” she was able to find housing two years ago. But most of her colleagues must commute an hour to Springdale from the St. George area. Her co-workers work full-time and year-round.

“I hope you will consider not only the people that live in Springdale but also the people who work here, the workforce. We’d love to be more a part of the community,” Kirkpatrick said. “Remember the park ranger, the server that works at your favorite restaurant that serves you your favorite meal and the outfitters that fit your grandkids with boots to make memories in The Narrows.”

A letter sent to the Town Council from another employee of Zion National Park, Joanna Scott, said she has to commute 45 minutes to work. When she first was looking at housing, she spoke with employees of various stores in town.

“When I asked if they lived in Springdale, they answered with laughter. They couldn’t afford it — what a silly question I had asked,” Scott said. “When the people who work for a community can’t afford to live in the community, that community has a problem. Springdale is one of those communities. I strongly believe these proposed changes will help to solve that problem.”

According to the survey, Dansie said preserving community character is still paramount to the community. He said the committee combined feedback from the Planning Commission, the town survey, consultation with subject matter experts and interviews with business owners. The housing committee has also researched other communities’ policies, he said. The results from the survey can be seen at this link and filtered to see further details.

In an email to St. George News, Mayor Barbara Bruno said that making housing available for employees of local businesses will strengthen Springdale.

“I was on the Housing Committee that developed the Workforce Housing Overlay Zone. I am in favor of the ordinance because it supports our General Plan,” Bruno said. “Workforce Housing would benefit Springdale because people working for the Town of Springdale, Zion National Park, and businesses in Springdale could become committed and contributing members of our community.”

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

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WASHINGTON COUNTY, Utah — A final push of rain caused water to go over the Gunlock Reservoir spillway, creating some fantastic waterfalls but also causing flooding concerns.

The spill happened earlier than expected, finally breaking through around 3 a.m. Wednesday morning.

WATCH: Video shows powerful waterfalls at Gunlock Reservoir

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Although the falls are mesmerizing to watch, the excess water is also raising concerns for flooding in the surrounding areas.

Experts anticipate the Santa Clara River will not flood, but photos show the river flowing extremely high and even starting to approach the road.

The river remains in it's channel, The National Weather Service reports, but a flood advisory has been issued and experts warn people could see water on the roads.

Kayakers brave the Virgin River in Springdale below (Courtesy: Tricia Ackerman Yeo):

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Rockville resident Tricia Yeo captured video of kayakers going down the Virgin River, near George Barker River Park, in Springdale.

"I think there were three kayakers, one kayak had two people and the other one had, just one person," said Yeo. "He capped sized twice and I got him on the second capsize, but he was able to get up."

Flood watches were put into effect for parts of Southern Utah, including Zion National Park and Buckskin Gulch from 9:45 Wednesday morning to Thursday at 6 p.m.

Buckskin Gulch has been a problem area in the last several days, with officials in the area saying at least ten people have had to be rescued due to flood dangers.

Video below shows Virgin River near Washington Dam Road (@Cbasschronicles)

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Currently, a search is underway for a missing hiker in the area. Two other hikers from the same party, one dead and one alive, have already been hoisted out of the slot canyon.

WATCH: Helicopter video shows rescue operation in progress in Buckskin Gulch

The National Weather Service says heavy rain Wednesday afternoon will cause more issues along streams, rivers and slot canyons.

"In particular, the Virgin River at Bloomington is expected to approach, if not exceed, flood stage by Thursday morning," NWS reported.

A flash flood warning was also put in place until 2:30 p.m. Wednesday for western areas of Washington County.

In northern Utah, Highland City reported that high water runoff in the northwest part of the city is causing flood concerns among residents.

The city was working to help homeowners sandbag to protect property and was soliciting help from volunteers to help in the effort.

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A video shared by the Mayor of Highland City showed water flowing down the street and encroaching in the road.

With shovels in hand, about 50 to 60 people volunteered filling sandbags near Beacon Hills in Highland.

"I was surprised how much water was going through the backyards of these homes," said Brady Mather, who lives nearby.

The hope was to help divert the high water run-off from impacting homes in the area.

"We had to get a hold of a lot of the property owners to ask, can we start building a channel to try to divert the water that's coming off the side of the mountains down back behind the intent natural channels," said Highland Mayor Kurt Ostler.

Known for its beautiful landscape riddled with National Parks, mountainous regions, and unique canyons, the "Beehive State" is a sight to behold. The diverse geographical features allow for a plethora of tourist destinations and activities such as skiing, snowmobiling, and hiking, to name a few. That being said, with so much to do, many towns in the state often get overlooked. So, to make sure you get the most out of this beautiful state, here is a list of the most underrated towns in Utah.

Kanab

Located along U.S. Route 89 in quite a silent span of land, Kanab is a small city and the county seat of Kane County, Utah. The town is known for its rich history which spans more than a century with the town initially being founded by ten Mormon families in 1870. Initially being Fort Kanab, which was a site for defence against the Indians, the town gradually drew in more people and is now home to approximately 4,900 according to Census estimates. Thanks to this, Kanab has a tight-knit community that emanates a peaceful and quaint feeling as soon as you enter the town. However, while its history and feel may be enticing, what truly makes Kanab underrated is the amount of open land around it and the activities they hide.

Kanab is nestled within an expanse of unique geographical forms ranging from sandstone walls to green land which provides a view second to none. Here, you can enjoy activities such as hiking in the Buckskin Gulch which is one of the longest and deepest slot canyons on Earth. So, for multiple kilometres, you’ll be hiking through a thin passageway for a truly enthralling experience. If you are less of a walking person, you can avoid the hiking trails and take your car down Cottonwood Canyon Road which is a scenic 75 km. route filled with unpaved roads, beautiful sights, and just an overall insight into the state of Utah. So, for nature lovers out there who just want to sit back and enjoy some fun, Kanab is a great town to visit.

Mount Pleasant

Filled with unique stand-out 19th-century style buildings, Mount Pleasant is a city of 3,260 located in Sanpete County, Utah. Once being quite cut off from civilization, the onset of complex railway systems around the 1890s began a surge of wealth and development for this quaint town. Due to this, the initial influx led the way for large buildings with unique architecture which still stand tall today along Main Street in Mount Pleasant. So, just taking a walk along the city sidewalk can take you back in time through a fresh experience that is reminiscent of the area’s journey through time.

Moving away from the past, Mount Pleasant’s decent 7.6 sq. km. area is also home to many fun activities which are often overlooked by tourists in the region. During summer, the city has many food options which are truly unique. For example, restaurants such as Dairy Freez, Terrel’s Thriftway, and Main Street Pizza offer a wide range of dishes all known to be great in both taste and price! So, you can always be sure to end your day here with a lovely meal that won’t break the bank. On the other hand, when winter comes along for Mount Pleasant, things get even more pleasant thanks to the abundance of winter sports! Whether it's snowmobiling, sledding, hunting, or even snow kitting, the city has it all and you are sure to enjoy the cold months.

Springdale

One of the least populated towns on this list, Springdale is situated in Washington County and has a population of fewer than 550 people according to the 2010 Census. However, while the population may be low, don’t let this deter you as the city is primarily focused on the tourism industry generated by the nearby Zion National Park. This National Park houses 590 sq. km. of land which is divided amongst luscious greenery, steeping cliffs, and the large Zion Canyon which is an impressive 29 km long and 800m deep. With its massive walls being made of Navajo Sandstone, Zion Canyon and its surrounding arrears are home to a wide range of wilderness activities such as canyoneering, camping, climbing, hiking, and more. Along with this, the assortment of flora & fauna is quite expansive with protected elks, black bears, and even verdant forests for a comprehensive nature experience.

Once you have spent your day travelling around the beautiful park, Springdale is a great place to slow down and take a rest to start off your next day of exploring. Moreover, while the town may be quite small, downtown Springdale has quite a few fun things to do. This includes restaurants with great local food, many artistic shops, art galleries, theatres, and much more. So, if you want to take a day off and relax in one of the many cosy inns, you can easily watch a theatrical or enjoy some tasty meals within the city itself.

Moab

If you are looking for dramatic scenery while still finding something underrated, Moab is the town to visit. The largest city in Grand County and also the county seat, this town is home to 5,366 people and is a premier location for tourism, yet still quite underrated. Similar to Springdale, Moab is also popular due to its vicinity to the Arches and Canyonlands National Parks which when combined, have a total area of more than 1,500 sq. km. This is an immense amount of natural and protected land wherein you can find everything from large canyons, to mesas and even rivers like the Green River. Parallelly, with so much natural space, the list of things to do is also nearly limitless as every natural activity you can think of is possible within these beautiful parks. That being said, one premier set of geographical formations that attracts many people near Moab are the 2,000-plus natural sandstone arches present in Arches National Park which are truly a sight you won’t find anywhere else in the world.

Coming back into the city from these parks is often a surprising experience for people as there is still much to offer within the 12.5 sq. km. city area. Having once been a mining town for uranium and vanadium, there are many historic buildings in the area such as Atlas Uranium Mill which give visitors a view into the past. Apart from this, Moab is also the sire for a famous LGBT Pride Festival which happens every year and is known to attract thousands of people for a fay of inclusive enjoyment and awareness. So, all in all, Moad is a great place for the nature lover who truly wants to enjoy some peace and quiet while looking at some of the most beautiful landscapes in Utah.

Heber

Since its incorporation in the mid-1800s as a ranching and dairy farming city, Heber grew into a tourist destination and is now home to many unseen and amazing activities. The city itself is home to more than 11,000 people and the county seat of Wasatch County, making it one of the larger cities on this list. That being said, while many people may know of Heber, it is still comparatively underrated when you consider how much there is to do within the 23 sq. km. city. Most prominently, when it comes to sports and adrenaline-filled fun, you can do everything from hunting and golfing to off-roading and fishing. While those are some summer activities, the winter sees a new side of Heber with some famous downhill slopes known for amazing snowboarding, skiing, and even snowmobiling. So, no matter what, you’ll surely have fun in Heber.

Slowing down the pace and reducing the adrenaline, there is also a lot of peaceful and natural beauty to explore in the city. For example, the nearby Uinta National Forest boasts a large assortment of unique ecological features which is why it is a preferred tourist spot in the region. Similarly, Jordanelle State Park is a must-visit with its beautiful springs, bird-watching cliffs and scenic views which are sure to get you the best photographs! If you do manage to get through all of this, Heber also has some great food spots to end the day such as Back 40, a ranch house grill known for its healthy yet delicious food. With all this and easy connectivity via Route 40 and Route 189, Heber is a great tourist spot for anyone in Utah.

Midway

Within Northwestern Wasatch County in Utah, Midway is a quaint city of nearly 4,000 people which often goes under the radar when it comes to places to visit. That being said, little do people know, they are missing out on the “Switzerland of Utah.” Situated alongside the Wasatch Mountains, the town offers an incredible view of the massive peaks which is truly a sight to behold. Along with this, when winter comes along, the cold winters see these mountains with snowy peaks, reminiscent of those found in the Alps of Switzerland. So, if you are out seeking natural beauty of this kind, Midway has what you want. In addition to the mountains themselves, the surrounding area is encompassed by the Wasatch Mountain State Park which offers thousands of sq. km. of natural land wherein you can explore, snowmobile, camp, ski, and basically anything that needs some natural space.

Moving further into the city of Midway itself, you are sure to find loads of things to do, places to stay, and even sights to see which are often underrated by tourists in Utah. For example, Midway Corner in the city is a Burgermeister Restaurant which is known for staying true to its hospitable roots. So, you can spend a lovely family evening indulging in the amazing Short Rib, Ravioli, and other delicacies of this cabin-like establishment. Similarly, if you are one for Italian cooking, look no further than Cafe Galleria which pulls in a New-York style Italian Cafe vibe to this small town of Utah with some amazing woof-fired Pizza!

ST. GEORGE — Traffic is clogging up Springdale roads, city officials say, and the town is seeking ways to reduce it. The town is developing the Downtown Circulation and Active Transportation plan. Springdale recently surveyed residents and is compiling the results. Springdale also conducted a transportation study by Fehr & Peers, a civil engineering firm.

“If we could reduce the number of private vehicles by getting more people onto shuttles or bicycles, it would be a win for the residents,” Barbara Bruno, mayor of Springdale, said. “My biggest transportation challenge is getting through town on our only thoroughfare when there is so much visitor traffic.”

She said the speed limit varies from 40 to 30 miles per hour approaching Zion National Park, but traffic rarely moves at that rate.

“More often, the line of traffic is moving at 15 to 20 mph and coming to a complete standstill,” Bruno said.

The mayor said the situation is getting so severe that residents living near a shuttle stop often leave their vehicles at home and they ride shuttles, adding that Springdale is working to improve mobility and safety for walking, bicycling, taking the shuttle, and driving.

Bruno asks those visiting for the day to use one of the city parking lots to help ease traffic. There is public parking on Lion Boulevard for all-day visits, but she said those spots fill up fast. There is paid roadside parking on SR-9.

“Washington County owns property outside of Rockville. They are ready and willing to develop a parking lot there,” Bruno said. “Visitors could board a shuttle or get on a bike there and travel through Springdale without their vehicle.”

Tourists that stay in the town’s hotels and transient lodging units can also contribute to the solution. Bruno said they could park their vehicle at their lodging and walk, bike, or ride a shuttle to get around town and into Zion National Park.

“I believe this is how they will have their best experience here,” Bruno said.

The Transportation Plan will address the traffic and parking congestion impacts of increasing visitation to Zion and growing development in Springdale, Tom Dansie, Director of Community Development said.

“As more people come to Springdale to visit the Park, shop, and eat, they bring more vehicle congestion to the town,” Dansie said. “The town has encouraged more people to get around using bikes, and now we are seeing a huge increase in the number of bikes, mostly ebikes, on the street.”

Although more people are moving around without causing vehicle traffic and parking congestion, it still brings issues and impacts to Springdale.

“The Transportation Plan will analyze all these issues and propose short, medium, and long-term solutions to help improve traffic flow and transportation efficiency,” Dansie said.

According to the town’s recent email to residents, the challenges are for all modes of transportation. The Springdale Circulation and Active Transportation Plan will develop strategies to help mitigate the negative impacts of increased traffic in the community, the email stated.

The Springdale Circulation and Active Transportation Plan outline the top five conflict zones as follows:

Solutions proposed by this plan the town’s council will consider in the future include ten options, including crosswalk enhancements that would increase the visibility of pedestrian crossings and encourage drivers to slow down. The recommendation is to install flashing beacons to encourage motorists to yield to pedestrians and bicyclists crossing. These flashing beacons also reduce the threat of rear-end crashes for motorists. They communicate with approaching motorists that a pedestrian is attempting to cross. There are eight crosswalks currently along the SR-9 study corridor in Springdale.

Conflict striping is another proposed plan which alerts drivers to be aware of people on bicycles and increases the visibility of conflict points between turning vehicles and people on bikes. The plan advises using green paint to highlight high-priority conflict zones between people on bicycles and turning cars at driveways, shuttle stops, and other conflict points.

Then a mobility hub/satellite parking area that provides visitors with multiple ways to reach Springdale and other destinations. The plan recommends that the county-owned area in Rockville be the hub. By diverting visitors before they enter Springdale, traffic and congestion in town can be reduced, the study found.

The plan states another benefit of the parking area is for large freight vehicles to offload goods. Then they transfer the items to smaller delivery vehicles, reducing the impact of freight vehicles in town.

For more information on the plan, contact the town’s offices at [email protected]

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.