A Planning and Zoning hearing was held last week on a rezone application for the property in Samaria which includes the Heritage Square and the Crazy Cow Adventure facility.  

Prior to the adoption of the current county Development Code, land was zoned multi-use, and activities at the Samaria locations were allowed under that set of rules.  The Development Code replaced the multi-use zone designation with Agriculture, Commercial, and Industrial zones, with the populated areas such as Samaria designated Residential by default.  The Residential Zone comes with allowable uses and conditional uses, which require a permit application to allow.  Because various events throughout the year, including Samaria Days, end of year school tours, and now the Welsh Festival require applications for those conditional uses, Luke and Shayna Waldron had applied to have the zoning changed in order to make the land useable for those applications without the cost and complication of the annual renewal. 

Carolyn Twede Frank led students in a puppet demonstration.

On the other side of the coin, some events have led to increased traffic, noise, and disruption for nearby properties.  The issue is about property rights in both cases, which made for a large turnout at the hearing. 

Luke Waldron, representing the Heritage Square and the Crazy Cow Adventure, read from a prepared statement at the outset of the hearing, which read in part: “Neither Crazy Cow Farm Adventure nor the Malad Valley Heritage Square were created to become large commercial developments. They were created because of a deep love for this community, our heritage, and the history of the Malad Valley. For over 20 years, Shayna and I have welcomed families, school groups, and visitors to our farm to learn about agriculture, animals, and rural life. We have watched children bottle-feed calves, learn where food comes from, and experience farm life for the very first time.

Likewise, the Heritage Square was created to preserve the stories, buildings, and heritage that helped build this valley. Hundreds of volunteers have contributed thousands of hours to save historic structures, create educational opportunities, and provide a place where future generations can learn about the people who came before us. These projects exist to educate, preserve, and bring people together.”

Waldron acknowledged that “concerns have been raised regarding traffic, parking, future growth, and the impact on the rural character of Samaria,” but continued by stating that “I want the Commission and our neighbors to know that we have listened carefully to those concerns.”

According to Waldron, Parking plans have been expanded to reduce any congestion for neighboring properties, and traffic management plans have been developed. He also stated that they have agreed to limitations on events and uses, and that both properties will be governed by Development Agreements that run with the land that limit what can occur on these properties and ensure that they cannot simply become something different in the future.

For many people, the term “commercial” itself was at issue, and the idea was expressed that a different label that more accurately described the situation would be a good idea.

Waldron himself said, “while the zoning designation may say ‘commercial,’ I believe everyone here understands that these projects are very different from what most people think of when they hear that word. We are not proposing a gas station, a convenience store, an industrial use, or a large-scale commercial development. We will continue operating the same agricultural, educational, cultural, and heritage-based activities that have existed here for years while remaining in compliance with the county’s current development code. At their heart, both projects are about preserving our heritage and history and passing that down to the next generation.”

Members of the public, including neighbors as well as those with an interest in the overall topic of development, shared their concerns about the zone change, as well as support for it.  Safety, traffic, noise, and changes to the rural nature of the community were raised.

Waldron closed his remarks by saying, “We love the rural character of Samaria. We live there. We raise our family there. We farm there. I am a 5th generation Samaritan. We want to protect that character just as much as anyone else. Our vision is not to become bigger and bigger. Our vision is to become better.

To continue preserving our history. To continue sharing agriculture with the next generation.

To continue providing meaningful experiences for families.  And to continue creating something that adds value to our community rather than taking away from it.”

The next step for Planning and Zoning is not a Zone Change, but a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners about a Zone Change, as PZ is not an executive body as far as the final decision.  Because the process means that a final decision can’t be made until the County Commission meeting following the next Planning and Zoning meeting, it won’t likely be until next month.

In the meantime, conditional uses attached to this fall’s Welsh Festival were greenlighted.  The Welsh Festival announced that it would be moving to Samaria after having been held in Malad City for the past two decades.  While a change to Commercial Zoning would make that process easier next year, the Festival itself would still be allowable under a CUP in either case.