Updated October 29, 2026: added the results of the October 22 City Council meeting from the city's official recording. The Planning Commission has not yet posted minutes or a recording of its October 27 hearings, so that section still describes the requests as noticed.
What Did the Council Decide? Quick Answer
At its October 22, 2026 meeting, the St. George City Council approved the Ledges unit reallocation 5-0 on a roll-call vote, keeping the total at 2,600 homes. It did not vote on the revised Rusty Cliffs South plan. Instead it voted to continue the item to its next meeting after several council members objected to dropping the planned commercial center, and the applicant's representative offered to take that feedback back to the ownership group. The $663,239.24 SunTran transit facility change order and the Divario tortoise-fence interlocal agreement passed unanimously as part of the consent calendar.
The Planning Commission held public hearings on Tuesday, October 27, on two general plan changes: one would move about 232 acres in Desert Canyons from low- to medium-density residential, and the other covers Red Rock Ridge at 344 S 1990 E. The city has not yet posted minutes or a recording of that meeting, so we can't yet report what the commission recommended.
The council results below come from the official recording of the October 22 regular meeting on the Utah Public Notice Website. The project details come from the agenda, the meeting packet and the hearing notices.
The Ledges: Same 2,600 Homes, Shuffled Around (Approved 5-0)
Outcome: The council approved Ordinance No. 2026-081 on a 5-0 roll-call vote. Before the vote, the applicant's representative told the council that most of the homes on the west side would be reached through the existing private gate.
Ordinance No. 2026-081 amends the zone plan for the Ledges, about 1,108 acres on both sides of Highway 18. According to the staff report, the total stays at 2,600 dwelling units, but the allocation changes:
| Area | Current | Proposed | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| West of Highway 18 | 840 | 854 | +14 |
| East, north of the golf course | 651 | 672 | +21 |
| East, south of the golf course | 1,109 | 1,074 | -35 |
| Total | 2,600 | 2,600 | 0 |
The Planning Commission recommended approval 6-0 on September 22 with no conditions. The staff report counts five comments at that hearing, mostly opposed, citing infrastructure, traffic, lost views and property values, plus 15 written comments. The report traces the Ledges back to a 2004 approval of 2,730 units; amendments in 2006, 2007 and 2017 set the cap at 2,400, 2,300 and 2,358, and a 2021 amendment raised it to 2,600.
Rusty Cliffs South: 86 Fewer Homes, No Commercial (Continued)
Outcome: The council voted by voice to continue Ordinance No. 2026-082 to its next meeting. It did not approve or deny the plan. In discussion, council members said the approved plan's commercial town center was a main reason for creating the Traditional Neighborhood Zone in the first place. They raised the long drives for services that residents in other outlying areas already face, and one council member cited a recent regional transportation meeting about road funding shortfalls tied to sprawl. One council member questioned whether enough homes are nearby yet to support the commercial space. The applicant's representative said the change is driven by how much infrastructure it has taken to open up the area, which makes the slower return from commercial space harder to carry. The representative said they did not consider the commercial plan infeasible, and offered to take the council's feedback back to the ownership group.
Ordinance No. 2026-082 covers Rusty Cliffs South, about 49.3 acres on the east side of Highway 18 between 4100 North and 4400 North, which the council rezoned to a Traditional Neighborhood Zone in January 2026. The applicant says the market has shifted. The revised plan would:
- Cut total units from 380 to 294 (7.7 to 5.96 units per acre)
- Replace the 176 approved attached units (stacked multifamily, duplexes, two-story attached, townhomes and live/work) with 57 triplex units
- Drop the 40,000-square-foot commercial town center
- Raise single-family homes from 204 to 237
The Planning Commission voted 5-0 to recommend approval with four conditions, including a preliminary plat and a site plan before construction. One neighbor spoke in support but asked for a fence or other barrier between her animals and the new homes. The applicant's booklet describes the site as benchland above Snow Canyon State Park, next to the Ledges and the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve.
Other Council Items
The council approved the six-item consent calendar in a single unanimous voice vote. It included the SunTran change order, the Divario fence agreement and both purchases below.
- SunTran transit facility (approved): a $663,239.24 change order with Bonneville Builders for the automotive equipment in the new facility's six maintenance bays. Staff say it was already in the construction budget, paid from the Public Transit Fund through a state grant for the Zion route. Completion is expected in December 2026.
- Divario tortoise fence (approved): an interlocal agreement, already adopted by Washington County, for the county to build a three-wire range fence with tortoise mesh along city open space in Divario next to the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, with step-overs and ride-overs at authorized trails. A county habitat review in the packet says up to 19.27 acres would be fenced in with the Reserve, and that tortoise sign was found on the two largest parcels in an August 18 survey.
- Riverbend Point (approved 5-0): Ordinance No. 2026-080 for a three-story, 45,000-square-foot commercial building on 2.24 acres north of Mall Drive and west of 2780 East (Planning Commission 6-0). The council approved it on a 5-0 roll-call vote, with the Planning Commission's condition requiring a master sign plan.
- Purchases (approved): $398,149.31 for police computer replacements, funded by an FY26 COPS Technology and Equipment Program award, and a $405,402.12 hydro-excavation truck for Water Services. The city's amended agenda changed the computer quote from the $441,432.39 in the original packet.
October 27 Planning Commission Hearings (Results Not Yet Posted)
- Desert Canyons North/East (Case 2026-GPA-014): change about 232 acres from low- to medium-density residential and adjust the medium and medium-high boundaries on about 272 acres in total, east of Southern Parkway and north of Desert Sky Parkway. Applicant: Desert Canyons Development, Inc.
- Red Rock Ridge (Case 2026-GPA-012): change about 14.40 acres at 344 S 1990 E from a mix of low-density residential, high-density residential and open space to high-density residential and open space. Applicant: Giv Development.
Both hearings were held at 5 p.m. on October 27 at 61 S. Main St. The notices don't include site plans or unit counts. They also don't say when the City Council would take up either request. As of October 29, the city had not posted minutes or a recording of the October 27 meeting. We'll add the outcome once it is in the official record. Questions go to the city's Development Services office, listed on the notices.
For more on how St. George is paying for growth, see the city's new emergency services sales tax and our report on Washington County population growth. More about the city: St. George city guide.
Earlier that afternoon, the council's 4 p.m. work meeting covered two discussion items: the "Temple View" concept for the old hospital site and the police department's plan to double its license plate reader cameras to 16.
Next: the Planning Commission hears a Desert Canyons density change on 232 acres on Nov. 10. See our Nov. 10 Planning Commission preview.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Ledges adding more homes?
No. The council approved the reallocation 5-0 on October 22. It moves units between areas but keeps the total at 2,600, according to the staff report.
Did the council approve the Rusty Cliffs South changes?
Not yet. On October 22 the council voted to continue the item to its next meeting after council members raised concerns about removing the commercial town center. The proposal would cut the project from 380 to 294 homes, remove the commercial town center, live/work and stacked multifamily units, and add more single-family homes.
What happened at the Desert Canyons hearing?
The Planning Commission held the hearing on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. As of October 29, the city had not posted minutes or a recording, so the commission's recommendation is not yet in the official record.
Where do these items go next?
The Ledges change, the SunTran change order and the Divario fence agreement were approved October 22. Rusty Cliffs South returns at a later council meeting. The two October 27 general plan requests are still at the Planning Commission stage.
Sources
- St. George City Council regular meeting agenda, Oct. 22, 2026 (Utah Public Notice Website)
- St. George City Council agenda packet, Oct. 22, 2026 (PDF)
- St. George City Council regular meeting amended agenda, Oct. 22, 2026 (Utah Public Notice Website)
- Official recording: St. George City Council regular meeting, Oct. 22, 2026 (MP3, Utah Public Notice Website)
- Notice of public hearing: Desert Canyons North/East General Plan Amendment, Oct. 27, 2026
- Notice of public hearing: Red Rock Ridge General Plan Amendment, Oct. 27, 2026
Published October 18, 2026. Updated October 29, 2026, with the City Council's October 22 results from the official recording. We'll add the Planning Commission's October 27 results when the city posts them.
