VISION STATEMENT
The Town of Virgin is known for its beautiful scenery. The warm feeling you have when you visit the Town folks is reminiscent of years gone by.
This small serene community would like to maintain its beautiful scenic vistas and at the same time be able to provide a safe,livable environment for its residents.
It is the goal of this community to provide an atmosphere where everyone can be at peace with themselves and still have a say in what happens in the town. This is our town to be proud of.
PURPOSE OF THE GENERAL PLAN
The purpose of a General Plan is to provide a public document, adopted by the Town Board that sets in place official goals, policies and objectives regarding growth and development of the community and to serve as a guide for major policy decisions of the Town Board and Mayor. Planning is the process by which all community resources can be pulled together to accomplish a common goal: the long term, harmonious development of the Town.
The Virgin General Plan is a guide for the present and future needs, physical development and growth of the Town. The Plan analyzes issues or problems related to the Town and planning area for a period of 10 to 20 years.
This Plan is intended to inspire Virgin residents. It is, essentially, a vision of what the Town might be, and how local residents might accomplish their goals by adopted policies and implementation strategies. This Plan should be used and interpreted to reach land use and public involvement decisions. It can help maintain and enhance the quality of life that the residents of Virgin enjoy now and can preserve it for years to come. This plan is intended to reflect the values and aspirations of the citizens of Virgin Town.
This Plan recognizes environmental constraints and states how the community can protect and enhance the physical and natural features, which make Virgin unique.
The Plan is comprehensive and covers the entire Town. It encompasses all the elements that make the Town work such as land use, circulation, public and community facilities, recreation and open space, social services, economic development, expansion and preservation of its housing, historical, cultural and natural resources. The Plan realizes that growth will occur. It is the manner and rate in which growth occurs that is so important in determining how the Town can ensure maintaining and enhancing the character of the community.
This document presents data concerning Virgin's past and present and outlines land use goals and policies intended to make the most effective and efficient use of land within the community. The Plan prescribes choices that are attainable.
This Plan should be amended when necessary as policies, goals, issues, conditions, resources or problems change. It should be considered a dynamic document that is not simply shelved once completed. If this document is used as intended, the best possible results for the future of the community can be obtained. An annual review by the Virgin Town Planning & Zoning Commission and Virgin Town Board should be undertaken, with a comprehensive review and update taking place at least every 5 years or sooner if conditions warrant.
PREVIOUS PLANNING EFFORTS
The Utah State Legislature, under Title 10 of the Utah Code, authorizes all municipalities in Utah to prepare a comprehensive, long-range General Plan to guide the physical development of their community. Chapter 9, Part 3 of Title 10 outlines various elements, which may be included in the plan. Jurisdictions have the option of adopting those elements that are applicable to their own circumstances.
The last comprehensive plan adopted by Virgin was prepared in 1998. That plan was financed in part through a Comprehensive Planning Grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development under the provisions of Section 701 of the Housing Act of 1954, as amended.
The intended purpose of this plan is to replace the exiting document entitled the Virgin Town Master Plan adopted in 1998. Some of the existing elements and information contained in that plan have been incorporated here, with updated analysis carried out to make it current. This general plan shall serve as a basis for other town ordinances, which are tools to implement the vision of this plan. Those tools include but are not limited to the Virgin Town Uniform Zoning Ordinance and Virgin Town Subdivision Ordinance.
This plan is focused on the need to assure that development as it occurs bears its fair and proportionate share of new infrastructure costs. This plan also encourages the fill in of vacant lots within the built up area before expanding to outlaying undeveloped areas in order to preserve remaining agricultural lands, and helps assure that housing meets basic health, safety and aesthetic standards.
Over the past 7 years since the previous Plan was adopted, Virgin has remained a residential community with a rural/agriculture “flavor”. An updated plan was deemed necessary to guide short-term and long-range development for the next 10 years. Washington County as a whole is expecting more population growth into the 21st Century and Virgin Town will be better able to accommodate a portion of that population increase with sound planning.
The Virgin Town Board determined that since the potential for population growth exists, additional demands on public services required a new look at the basic policies listed in the 1998 Plan. The Virgin Town Planning & Zoning Commission was invited to review existing plans and develop a new General Plan, which was to be submitted to the Town Council, with the Commission’s recommendation, for adoption. The process followed to produce this plan was ongoing andtechnical assistance of the Five County Association of Governments was utilized in the meetings and the preparation of the plan document and maps.
(6-22-2005 Revisions in Red)
INTRODUCTION
The Land Use Development and Management Act
The Land Use Development and Management Act of the State of Utah provides each City or Town the opportunity to establish a planning commission and a planning process that will guide growth in accordance with adopted goals and policies relating to land use, circulation, housing, environmental quality, wise use and conservation of resources, safety, and other relevant physical, social, and economic factors. In order to carry this out, Section 10-9-3 of the Utah Code directs that the Planning Commission prepares, and the legislative body adopts a comprehensive, long term General Plan for the Town and any land outside its boundaries, which in the Planning Commission's judgment bears relationship to its planning.
According to the Utah Code Section 10-9-302, the General Plan may include, among other things, a land use element that:
"(i) designates the proposed general distribution and location and extent of uses of land for housing, business, industry, agriculture, recreation, education, public buildings and grounds, open space, and other categories of public and private uses of land as appropriate; and
(ii) may include a statement of the standards of population density and building intensity recommended for the various land use categories covered by the plan;"
In addition to the "proposed general distribution and location and extent of the uses of the land....” this Land Use Element incorporates policies and programs to bring about the uses designated. Equally important, the policies and programs of this Element should take into account those of the other General Plan Elements. The policies and programs of the various Elements should be mutually reinforcing. In no case should conflicting policies and programs be recommended or adopted. The Land Use Element attempts to integrate the policies of all theElements of the Virgin Town General Plan.
Format of the General Plan
Statistics and Demographics present a numerical view of the Town consisting of trends and characteristics in Virgin Town and Washington County from previous years and the present. Goals reflect citizens and community leaders input gathered at public meetings. Policies are a result of ideas and information from the first two sections that define development parameters of the Town. This section also indicates how each piece of land in the Town should ideallybe used, as well as provides guidelines for attaining the best quality of life for Virgin Town's residents. Finally, implementation transforms Goals and Policies into reality.
Role of the General Plan
The General Plan plays several major roles. The Town Board and its appointed Boards and Commissions use it as a guide by which all planning decisions are reviewed, including those by Federal and State Officials. Simply put, any development that is consistent with the General Plan should be encouraged; development that is not should be rejected or modified. Following this process, the Plan is transformed from a vision to reality.
This plan should be used by citizens and potential residents in making personal decisions and economic commitments. It can play a key role in helping business and individuals make decisions of whether to relocate to the Town, or expand existing facilities.
Value of the General Plan
The Value of the General Plan is only as good as the support that it gets from the leadership and the citizens of the Town. While it is conceived and created, to a great degree, by the Town Board, with guidance from the Virgin Town Planning and Zoning Commission, its ultimate long-term support and success must come from the residents of the Town as a whole.
The Town is faced with challenges related to Federal and State land management programs, few long-term employment opportunities, and considerable distances from some necessary services. Also, the residents cannot forget their own civic responsibility. It is hoped that this document will encourage involvement by all citizens to make Virgin Town an even better place to live up to the year 2015 and beyond.
Amendment Procedures
As stated above, Utah Code Annotated provides a method for local governments to develop and implement community panning. Recognizing that the general plan is a dynamic and changeable document, Utah Code Annotated provides for amendments to the General Plan as needed. The code outlines the procedures for amending the plan and specifies all requirements to satisfy due process. Section10-9-303 and 10-9-304 deals with amendment procedures, for cities and towns.
(6-22-2005 Revisions in Red)
LOCATION AND SETTING
Physical Characteristics and Climate
Virgin Town is located in the Virgin River Valley and has a geologic history similar to that of the Zion National Park area some 20 miles upstream from town. The town is located at the edge of the low desert country that stretches across the southwestern portion of the United States. The river valley itself, with alluvial soils, is a good agricultural area. (See Soils Map, page 16). The town is at an elevation of 3,500 feet above sea level. All of Washington County east of the Hurricane Fault and Hurricane Cliffs is part of the Colorado Plateau, an area that includes much of Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado.
The climate in most of Washington County is relatively dry and warm, semi-arid in most parts. Winters are mild, with snowfall rare and light. Summers are generally hot. The average maximum temperatures during the summer are between 95 and 101 degrees Fahrenheit, but the low humidity makes the heat more tolerable. Winters are generally cool; the low temperatures averaging about 25 degrees in January. The history of the area has been one of alternating drought and flood. Rainfall in the general area averages from under 4 inches in a year to over 18 inches in a year. The annual average precipitation in Virgin Town is about 8-10 inches, including a few inches of snow falling during the winter months. Rainfall is erratic and unpredictable. Although it can occur at any time of the year, on average, the wettest months are December through March, and the driest are April through June. The wettest single month is usually March, with August a close second. The coolest month is January, with December a close second. The average frost-free season is May through September.
Location
Virgin Town located in the southwestern quarter of Utah, somewhat south centrally located in Washington County just to the west and south of Zion National Park.
Ownership of land in Virgin Town, by acreage, is shown in Table 1 (page 7).
Access is good to the town from the western half of the County. Interstate 15, a primary access route through the state is nearby. It bisects the western part of Washington County in a north-south direction. I-15 places most of southern California within a seven-hour travel time. The nearest large metropolitan population center, Las Vegas, is located 2 ½ hours to the southwest on I-15. Salt Lake City lies four and one-half hours to the north on I-15 and Denver lies about nine hours distant via I-15 then I-70. State Highways 9 and 17 provides access to and from I-15 on the west and highway 9 to east through Zion Nation Park into Kane County. The road through the Park includes a one-mile-long narrow tunnel, which prohibits the access of semi-trailer trucks and many other large vehicles from utilizing this route. Many vacationers traveling in larger motor homes and travel trailers require a Park Service escort to travel through the tunnel, if they do not exceed the maximum vehicle dimensions permitted through the tunnel.
The Union Pacific Railroad traverses western Iron County providing the nearest access to rail services into Salt Lake City and points east to southern California. A railroad spur line from Lund to Cedar City links Iron County with necessary railroad access. There is no rail service to Virgin Town or anywhere else in Washington County.
The St. George City and Cedar City airports provide daily commercial commuter air service on SkyWest Airlines in and out of the region as well as local scenic flights.
Virgin Town is located in the center of a popular tourism circle known as the Grand or Golden Circle. Nearby convenient access is available to some of the major U.S. National Parks including Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Grand Canyon National Parks North Rim, and Cedar Breaks National Monument, as well as the recently designated Canyons of the Escalante Grand Staircase National Monument. The nearby Dixie National Forest is easily accessed from town. Vast expanses of public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) occupy the area and make up the largest percentage of the Town of Virgin (see TABLE 1, below). BLM administered lands also make up the largest percentage of land ownership in the State of Utah for that matter. (See Ownership Map, page 14).
Virgin Town is strategically located in relation to recreation sites that visitors come to see in southern Utah. At present the need and or ability of the town to provide services to the visitor passing through to points beyond has not been determined or realized. (See Points of Interest Map, page 40).
TABLE 1. LAND OWNERSHIP
AcresBureau of Land Management / 3,380.69
Private / 2,259.86
State of Utah / 342.12
Town of Virgin / 12.27
Total / 5,994.94
Table 1 not undated
County Seat
The City of St. George, 30 miles west of the Town of Virgin, is the county seat for Washington County. County Commissioners currently serving as of March, 2005 are Jay Ence (Chair), James Eardley, and Alan D. Gardner.
(6-22-2005 Revisions in Red)
HISTORY
Since the establishment of Virgin Town in the Territory of Utah, the cultural growth and development has been one of trials and tribulations. The post-Anasazi era has seen modern roads constructed and cultivation of the land, and the establishment of permanent residences creating a viable rural town in one of the most picturesque locations in the world.
Virgin Town was settled by a number of families from Cedar City in late 1858. Nephi Johnson, Seth Johnson, John M. Higbee, Anthony J. Stratton, Samuel Bradshaw and James W. Bay were sent to this area to settle a town on the Upper Virgin River. On December 6, 1858, they commenced building the road up and over what is known as the Johnson Twist. They drove their wagons onto the site of Virgin on December 20, 1858. The town was laid out and marked in 1859. There were two ditches, one for culinary and one for irrigation. Both ditches were completed in April 1859. The people built log cabins for shelter using the cottonwood trees that grew along the Virgin River and North Creek.
The early settlers faced a great many hardships trying to establish small farms in the area. At best, these were difficult times. There were floods, ditches going out and other similar hardships. Early years were filled with efforts to construct ditches in and around the town site for the watering of crops. About 70 acres were planted during the first year (1859). Crops grown in Virgin included cotton, corn, cane, wheat, alfalfa and grapes. They also grew a little tobacco.