Scofield P&Z elects new chair, refers site plan and recommends lowering max building height to 27 feet

The Scofield Planning and Zoning Commission elected Ron Warren as chair and took several land-use and procedural actions at its March 7, 2026, meeting.

Jerry Lynch, a Planning and Zoning Commission member, moved to elect Ron Warren as chair; Lorraine Behling, another commission member, seconded the motion and the minutes record that the motion passed with all members in agreement and no dissenting votes. The minutes do not list individual vote tallies.

Brandon Rushton presented a set of site plans for Commission review. Commissioners discussed building size and elevation, corner setbacks and the line of sight where Ivy meets Front Street, parking counts and ADA spaces. The Commission asked Rushton to email digital copies of the plans and said it will forward them to the County Building Department for additional review; the minutes state the Commission’s preliminary assessment found the plans compliant with the Land Use Ordinance and that those findings will be reported to the County.

On Table 4, which governs maximum structure heights, the Commission discussed reducing the current 30-foot allowance after the minutes record that Mayor Levanger had consulted with Matt Montoya, Helper fire chief, and the Utah State Fire Marshal about the town’s volunteer fire department capabilities. The minutes say Mr. Montoya and others advised that equipment limits suggest a lower maximum; Commissioners discussed hose and ladder reach and concluded a 27-foot maximum would better match local fire-rescue capacity. Ron Warren moved to recommend changing Table 4 to a 27-foot maximum from the ground to the top of a building; Shane Moreno seconded and the minutes record unanimous approval with no dissenting votes. The minutes do not list individual vote tallies.

The Commission also reviewed Chapter II, 2-2 (Planning Commission) to clarify roles and procedures. Members agreed to seek two reappointments, hold a standing monthly meeting on the first Saturday (to be canceled if there is no business), and to prepare internal drafts: Lorraine Behling will draft meeting rules addressing section 2-2.6 and Ron Warren will draft procedures for processing applications. The RV ordinance was identified as needing further review and may return to a future agenda; Lorraine will circulate the current RV ordinance Google Doc to Jerry Lynch and Ralph Brinkerhoff for review before the next meeting.

Ron Warren moved to adjourn at 9:57 a.m.; Jerry Lynch seconded and the minutes record that the motion carried with no dissent. The Commission indicated follow-up items will include finalizing the Table 4 recommendation for the town council, forwarding the site plans to the County Building Department, and scheduling the next monthly meeting.