What Is Washington City Voting On Nov. 10? Quick Answer
The Washington City Council meets Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at 6 p.m. to consider raising the parks impact fee on new homes from $4,800 to $4,914, hiring a consultant for $95,000 to rewrite the city's zoning code, and accepting a new stretch of ARA Parkway that will connect to St. George's Airport Parkway. None of these have been voted on yet.
The meeting is at City Hall, 111 North 100 East, and streams on YouTube Live through washingtoncity.org/meetings. A 4 p.m. workshop the same day includes the city's water consultant's latest review of the Zion Shores surf park; see what that report says.
How Much Is the New Parks Impact Fee?
The ordinance on the agenda sets the parks and recreation impact fee at $4,914 per new home. The city's briefing document says that is $114 (2.4%) more than today's $4,800. Impact fees are one-time charges paid when new housing is built. They pay for parks and trails needed for growth and do not appear on existing residents' utility bills.
- Who pays: new residential units only. The ordinance says commercial, industrial and other non-residential development is not charged a parks fee.
- When it starts: 90 days after the council approves it, as Utah's Impact Fees Act requires.
- Where it applies: everywhere inside Washington City limits.
- Status: the council held the public hearing on October 14, 2026, and the item is back as a "continuation" on Nov. 10.
The numbers in the packet do not all match. The briefing and ordinance cite $47,590,955 in fee-eligible costs and a $4,914 fee. The Sunrise Engineering plan attached as the exhibit lists $47,773,593 and a maximum allowable fee of $4,924. The plan notes the council can set a fee lower than the maximum but not higher. The ordinance as written uses $4,914.
What Parks and Trails Would the Fee Pay For?
The 2026 Parks and Recreation Master Plan Update replaces the city's 2019 plan. Its 10-year list adds about 63 acres of parks in 10 parks or phases and 27 miles of trail in 34 trail systems (the briefing rounds the trails to 28 miles). The city now has 21 parks covering 154.7 acres, 38.7 miles of trail and the 110,000-square-foot community center. The plan expects housing units to grow from 17,545 in 2026 to 27,248 in 2036.
| Park project | Acres | Planned year |
|---|---|---|
| Long Valley Park | 8.0 | 2027 |
| Alaia Park | 5.0 | 2028 |
| Elephant Arch Trailhead/Park | 1.5 | 2029 |
| Solente Park | 4.0 | 2030 |
| Dino Cliffs Trailhead/Park | 1.5 | 2031 |
| Washington Fields | 21.5 | 2031 |
| Downtown Plaza | 1.0 | 2032 |
| Washington Dome Trailheads (2) | 3.0 | 2033 |
| Historic Canal Trailhead | 1.0 | 2034 |
| Grapevine Crossing Plaza (not fee-eligible) | 3.0 | 2035 |
The plan says the city expects to bond for the 21.5-acre Washington Fields park and counts the first 10 years of bond payments toward the fee. It also counts existing debt on Washington Wheels Park. The first trail projects listed for 2027 are Millcreek Trail North, a Long Valley Trail extension and Solente Trail.
Santa Clara is also changing its parks fee this month; see Santa Clara's Nov. 4 parks impact fee change.
Why Is Washington City Rewriting Its Zoning Code?
Title 9, the city's zoning regulations, was adopted in 1989 and has been amended piece by piece since. Community Development Director Eldon Gibb's briefing says several of its 22 chapters contradict each other or use outdated terms, which confuses staff and the public. Staff recommend hiring Downtown Redevelopment Services for $95,000 to rewrite it over about 12 months.
| Firm | Proposal |
|---|---|
| Downtown Redevelopment Services (recommended) | $95,000 |
| Raimi + Associates, an Alta company | $112,933 |
| Sunrise Engineering | $159,600 |
The goals listed in the briefing:
- Update the language and structure of all 22 chapters and remove contradictions between them.
- Propose an R-1-4 zone (or similar), a smaller-lot single-family zone the briefing says would support more diverse and affordable housing. The consultant's plan tests a 4,000-square-foot lot district using up to four site layouts and a GIS comparison.
- Add charts and diagrams so residents and builders can read the code more easily.
- Move rules to the chapters where they belong, such as putting commercial landscaping rules in the commercial zones chapter.
The proposal has five phases, including two joint Planning Commission and City Council workshops, six chapter "packages" reviewed one at a time, and adoption hearings in months 11 and 12. The briefing says the firm has done code work for Hurricane, Brigham City, Logan, Murray and other Utah cities. Washington County is going through a similar process; see the county's zoning code rewrite.
Where Will ARA Parkway Segment 2 Go?
The council will consider a road dedication plat for ARA Parkway Segment 2, the part west of Hilton Williams Drive to the city line. The staff report says the extension will connect ARA Parkway to Airport Parkway in St. George. The rest of the road is inside St. George and will be dedicated to that city. Desert Canyon Land LLC owns the land, and DSG Engineering is the applicant. Staff recommend approval on the condition that all improvements are built or bonded before the plat is recorded.
The same area is the subject of the Washington City and St. George boundary adjustment that has a public hearing at the same meeting.
Why Is ARA Removing Trees?
The ARA Southwest Logistics Center wants to change its approved landscaping plan and plant fewer trees. The staff report says the developer found the concrete sidewalks were heaving next to the trees because of the water needed to keep them alive on the area's clay soil. The applicant, Bush and Gudgell, for owner Freeport West, says the revised plan will protect both private and public infrastructure. The original plan was approved with the zone change in December 2023.
What Else Is on the Agenda?
- Boundary hearing: the St. George boundary line adjustment near Hilton Williams Drive.
- Five code amendments on public hearings and approval steps in Titles 9 and 10. The Planning Commission reviewed them Nov. 4.
- Council vacancy tie-breaker: a resolution required by Utah Code 20A-1-510 that sets how ties are broken when the council appoints someone to a vacant seat. Tied candidates would be eliminated by a public drawing of lots run by the City Recorder. The resolution does not name a seat. Council member Troy Belliston leads the unofficial results for Washington County Commission Seat B; see our election results.
- Criminal task force: renewing the city's agreement to take part in the Washington County Criminal Task Force starting Jan. 1, 2027, for five years with one five-year renewal. The task force covers drug, interdiction, gang and crimes-against-children cases.
- Washington Dam Road annexation: accepting a petition to annex about 0.235 acres along Washington Dam Road. The briefing says acceptance starts the state process and is not approval of the annexation.
The 4 p.m. workshop also lists a water district update and the downtown project; the agenda does not include documents for those two items. Washington City voters also approved Proposition 5 this month; see what Prop 5 means.
How Can I Comment?
The agenda says written comments for the public hearing are accepted at washingtoncity.org/meetings until 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9. After that, comments are taken in person at the meeting. For accommodations, call the City Recorder at 435-656-6308 at least 24 hours ahead. More on the city at our Washington, Utah guide.
Sources: Washington City Council agenda, Nov. 10, 2026; Nov. 10, 2026 council packet, including the parks impact fee ordinance, parks briefing document, Parks & Recreation Master Plan Update 2026 (Sunrise Engineering), Title 9 professional services briefing, ARA Parkway Segment 2 and ARA landscape staff reports, tie-breaking resolution, task force MOU briefing and Washington Dam Road annexation briefing. Outcomes will be added after the council votes.
