Juab County commissioners have banned all residential housing in Juab County for six months or until the new county general plan and zoning ordinances are revamped.
"The county is quite vulnerable," said Glenn Greenhalgh, county economic director and director of the county planning commission. Jim McWilliams, chairman of the county planning commission, agreed.Both men told commissioners the county Planning Commission had recommended the moratorium.
Juab County commissioners agreed to the six-month moratorium and can revoke it if the planning process takes less time.
"Juab County is experiencing a large amount of growth," said Greenhalgh.
Because of the growth, many people wish to build houses in the county. However, commissioners want to protect agricultural lands and promote the agricultural environment.
The moratorium went into force Tuesday and will be in place until June 19 unless repealed sooner.
Currently, those building homes in the county must have 120 acres dedicated for each home constructed. There is nothing in the ordinance to prohibit construction of farm homes for those who help manage the farm as long as the acreage requirement is met.
One of two building permits that have been applied for, and would thus miss the moratorium, calls for the construction of two log homes to be built on property owned by Gary Young, Idaho. Young, no relation to Gordon Young, commission chairman, is proposing the construction of an herb farm in the Mona area.
The homes are to be constructed for greenhouse and farm managers, said Greenhalgh. Of concern to the commission is the proposal to build bunk houses in the basement of each of the homes.
The second permit in the application process was for a residential home for McWilliams, the planning commission chairman.
"We will handle both of these applications through the usual process," said Greenhalgh. The homes for a farm manager and a greenhouse manager will both be subject to the past process, which calls for public hearings before the Planning Commission and the public.
"It would be part of the process to have the county commission also hold a public hearing," said Greenhalgh.
The County Commission has directed Greenhalgh to do most of the work on the new county general plan in-house. However, county growth has escalated in the time the Greenhalgh has been working on the project.