WASHINGTON CITY — In his first State of the City address, Washington City Mayor Kress Staheli discussed the city’s past, present and future, especially in terms of its continual growth and the expected challenges ahead.

The event was hosted in Washington City by the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce and is the second time Staheli gave his State of the City address, having originally given it for the Washington City Chamber of Commerce a month prior.

Before Staheli spoke, he had two Washington City residents publicly recognized. One was the late Brad Stapely, a well-known and beloved pharmacist, who died in an avalanche in February 2019. Stapely was honored with the American Trailblazer Award from the city,  and the award was accepted by his widow.

The second award went to Washington City Fire Capt. Jerry Allred for his many years serving the city in public safety.

Staheli then provided a brief recap of the city’s history and moved forward to his childhood in Washington City when the population was around 3,200. Today is it estimated to be over 33,500.

“We have grown by 10 times since my youth,” Staheli said.

The city has issued over 800 building permits in 2021 and 2022 so far and has also conducted around 16,900 and 20,800 building inspections for new construction for each year respectively.

‘We’re not chasing growth’ and plans for downtown

“Those who are building and developing in Washington, there can be no doubt that Washington City is working very hard right along with you,” the mayor said. “Though I still say we’re not chasing growth. We do welcome those who want to be a part of this community to the extent we can support and sustain you to be here.”

While that growth has brought some benefits to the city, it has also caused its fair share of casualties along the way, Steheli said, adding it has resulted in the city losing some of its history and heritage.

Specific examples Staheli pointed out included the Burger Place restaurant that used to be on Telegraph Street, the Nisson grocery store and Washington Fields.

“To one extent or another, they’ve all been casualties of growth,” Staheli said. “It’s been really hard for me to see that and to accept that over these last few years.”

In a desire to preserve the city’s heritage, Staheli said plans to create a vibrant and walkable downtown are in the works. City officials also hope to recruit the aid of the private sector in this endeavor, he said.

“We are very interested in recreating a viable, walkable downtown where people can continue to gather,” Staheli said. “We want a downtown. We to recreate some of those places, those spots where the community can come together.”

Coupled with efforts to revitalize the downtown are plans to continue holding holiday and other celebrations at Veterans Park and encourage people to gather there.

“We’re working hard to maintain that small-town charm … that’s been such a blessing to many of us,” Staheli said.

Streets

Keeping up with growth includes maintaining city infrastructure.

Staheli spoke of improvements made to Main Street, adding that preparations are being made by the city for when the Utah Department of Transportation’s plans to build a new interchange at mile 11 on Interstate 15 that will tie directly into Main Street. That project is expected to start in 2023.

Additionally, the whole length of Telegraph Street through Washington City is considered a high priority for himself and the City Council, he added.

“It is our main east-west corridor through our city, so we are committed to improving that to the extent we can with build-out, with landscaping, with beautification,” Staheli said.

Improvements to Telegraph Street and downtown Washington City overall will be a part of an initiative Staheli said he plans to share more detail on in the future.

Sales tax and commercial growth

Also related to growth is the city’s continuing desire to grow its commercial base, Staheli said.

More commercial means more sales taxes for the city’s general fund. The general fund is what funds the city’s day-to-day operations, including public safety. If the sales tax doesn’t grow or falls short at some point, then city officials could end up considering property tax hikes to make up the difference.

Incoming commercial ventures the city is seeing are largely taking place around the Washington Parkway/Exit 13 interchange of Interstate 15.

Part of the growth in this area includes the incoming Sienna Hills Auto Mall that will feature, high-end, high tech vehicles, as well as a for-profit hospital proposed by Steward Health Care.

“That is a really vibrant and exciting area,” Staheli said.

Parks and trails

The mayor also highlighted the new Canyons Park at the Hellhole Trailhead, as well as the Boilers Park and Conservation Garden.

Park projects in the works include the pending expansion of the city’s dog park, the proposed Wheels Park and the Shibob Kibe Trailhead.

Housing and the missing middle

Touching on residential growth – which is in no short supply in Washington City and elsewhere – Staheli said he wants to see more of the “missing middle” built for local residents. The missing middle covers multifamily housing like duplexes, apartments, condos and townhome complexes. These types of units are generally less expensive than single-family homes and are considered a way to help fight the ongoing housing crisis.

“I worry that my children will never be able to own a home here locally,” the mayor said. “How do they compete with retirees from California and the Midwest? It’s a big concern for me, so we’re looking at some different options on how we can do our part. Obviously, I’m a big believer in the private sector, but I just want to draw attention that there is a missing middle and we can be strategic and intentional on how we provide housing options and ownership for future generations.”

Water

“It’s no secret we’ve been in drought 16 of the last 20 years,” Staheli said. “It’s also no secret we rely entirely on the Virgin River Basin as our source for water.”

Like other cities in the county, Washington City is working with the Washington County Water Conservancy District on crafting a landscape ordinance that will promote water conservation and primarily impact new construction.

Other measures include promoting water conservation practices among city residents, which includes the removal of “non-functional turf” from yards. Rebates for removing turf will likely be offered by various government entities, Staheli said.

Staheli also brought up a point that hasn’t been widely expressed by other elected officials – Washington City residents shouldn’t rely on the Lake Powell Pipeline. It may come, it may not. Regardless, water conservation needs to happen, he said.

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