Hill Canyon Zoning Change Is Delayed

The City Council voted to postpone the rezoning of Hill Canyon as open space pending a review of the area by city staff.

Voting 4 to 1 on Tuesday with Mayor Linda Parks dissenting, the council said it wanted assurances the open space designation would not impede planned improvements to the area, such as expansion of the Hill Canyon Wastewater Treatment Plant.

“I’m disappointed we’re going to go back now and have staff look at this,” Parks said. “I thought we were past this discussion.”

Last week, the council voted unanimously to quash a proposed $16-million golf and recreational facility in the canyon.

Parks said she thought the council would rezone Hill Canyon as open space Tuesday and put an end to any future development at the site.

“We have a specific plan that says if it isn’t going to be used as a golf course, it shall be converted to open space,” Parks said Wednesday. “Let’s convert it to open space.”

Other members urged caution.

“To prematurely make a decision on it when there is no urgency doesn’t make good planning sense or public policy sense to me,” Councilman Dennis Gillette said Wednesday.

“All the council members said their opinion is to not proceed with the golf course. Each wanted the parcel in a protected zone. I want to make sure that we don’t do something that’s so overly restrictive that we stop ourselves from the ability to move forward with improvements to the treatment plant.”