ST. GEORGE — One city in the far corner of the state is booming.

In 1977, when Gary Esplin took over as the city manager, about 11,000 people lived in the city. In the 40 years since, the city has blossomed to include 77,000 residents.

The past several years have each seen about a 3 percent annual growth.

"Growth is more positive than negative because I much rather be involved in a city that is growing rather than one that was declining," Esplin said.

But with all the growth also comes the question of how to meet the increased need for sewer, water, power roads and other "challenges of infrastructure," Esplin said.

"Major concern for the long term"

For Esplin, one area stands out.

"I think water is obviously a major concern for long term," he said.

Southern Utah is drier than other parts of the state, so water has become a big deal in a city that is continuing to grow.

“Well, when you live in the desert, water is always in demand,” Esplin said. “Obviously, as we go forward in the planning horizon, we will need to identify additional water sources.”

Some viable water sources he identified include Lake Powell and treated water from the Virgin River.

Affordable housing

"A lot of places, the rent is really high. A lot of the places around here for employment, they pay you minimum wage. When you have such a high rent and low-income, it just doesn’t go together right," said Kyle Wall, a St. George resident.

Mike Barben, executive director at St. George Housing Authority, said the city has an affordable housing list and a tax credit list for housing, but those lists are full right now.

"It’s tough for individuals to find housing let alone affordable housing," Barben said.

Mari Krashowetz, executive officer with Southern Utah Home Builders Association, said there are a few key factors that have driven the more expensive housing prices. The first: Finding land on which to build.

"We have limited land available in southern Utah. And a landowner has the right to sell the land at a market rate," Krashowetz said.

Add to that the cost of building affordable units — factoring in the price of lumber, concrete, labor shortages in the area and impact fees for water, power, sewer, transportation — and many contractors are hesitant to sign on, according to Krashowetz.

"When developers put a pencil to all the cost involved in building a multi-family, it just does not pencil out. They can't lose the money and therefore they choose not to build it," she said.

In addition to this, many residents in the area oppose multifamily units, adding yet another barrier to those wanting to access affordable housing, Krashowetz said.

"But what they don’t understand is multifamily serves an important purpose. Their children and grandchildren are looking for affordable housing and when they come out in opposition ... many time that does deter and cancel the project," she said. "This is a community problem that needs to be addressed."

One plan to address the need for affordable housing in St. George is the RiverWalk Village, a 55-unit complex available to those who qualify. The only problem is the city still needs about a million dollars before they can break ground.

Traffic

Typical of any growth area, St. George has also seen the squeeze in the road infrastructure and the increase in vehicle traffic. Again, the city is locked in as far as how far they can expand: a federally owned and locally controlled freeway passes over the center of St. George, mountains surround the downtown area and endangered species live to the north of the city and in the Virgin River.

"We’re faced with probably more significant obstacles in dealing with moving traffic in our community than any other place in the state of Utah because of those natural, man-made barriers as well as those inflicted upon us through the endangered species act," Esplin said. "When it takes you many years to build one bridge across the Virgin River because of the endangered species, it becomes a challenge and that will be a major challenge getting traffic around us and through us."

What the locals have to say

Despite these growing pains, the city continues to attract families and individuals.

"We love the family aspect of St. George. Love the recreation, love the chance that our kids could go in any direction (and) enjoy skiing and the water," said Gil Almquist, who has lived in the city for almost 40 years.

He also added good schools, a growing university, nearby Tuacahn and other entertainment to the list of things that make St. George what he called, "Just the perfect community."

But, he cautioned: "You can spoil something that is perfect" if you don't plan for future growth and needs.

Jared Gulbranson, the owner of Judd's Store, wants to keep St. George just the way it is.

"The weather is fantastic, the people are warm and friendly … and it’s just an up and coming. It’s growing well. I’ve only lived here for a year and a half and we love it," he said. "I come from a little town and this is just the right size. It's big enough city, but has the nice small town atmosphere."

Contributing: Whitney Evans, Shara Park

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