New Toquerville reservoir, gyms in Hurricane and resort in LaVerkin highlight State of the Cities address

HURRICANE — Washington County’s tri-city neighbors gathered for lunch and to hear the latest news in their communities at the Hurricane Valley Chamber of Commerce annual State of the Cities address.

Hurricane Mayor Nanette Billings spoke at the Hurricane Valley Chamber of Commerce State of the Cities address in Hurricane on March 16, 2023 | Photo by Haven Scott, St. George News

The news generating the most buzz among the crowd included a new reservoir in Toquerville, a donated metal building to be used for a gymnasium in Hurricane and a hot springs resort to be built in LaVerkin.

Hurricane Mayor Nanette Billings said the city recently moved the location of the city rodeo grounds and most of the equipment from the old arena will be sold at a public auction in the near future. The city also received a donation of a metal building that will be used for two public gyms.

Road construction to provide residents with more route options also has been a priority in the last year, Billings added.

“Currently there is not one road in Hurricane that goes all the way from 600 North to 3000 South,” she said. “Within this year we should have at least two, with a third one on its way.”

Billings also said the city is continuing its pursuit to become the host city for Utah’s National Interscholastic Cycling Association high school mountain biking championships.

Working with the Greater Zion tourism office, Hurricane city planners are currently conducting an environmental assessment to see how much the bike race would affect local cattle grazing on land owned by the Bureau of Land Management.

“Every single bike trail within our state, that the mountain bike teams go to, has grazing on it,” she said.

The new state Route 17 that will bypass Toquerville is currently under construction, March 16, 2023 | Photo by Haven Scott, St. George News

Toquerville residents can rejoice they no longer have to drive to LaVerkin for gas, quipped Toquerville Mayor Justin Sip. Coming soon to Toquerville’s Interstate 15 exit will be a new RV park and a Sapp Brothers Travel Center.

Sip also discussed the reroute of state Route 17, something residents in his community have a “love/hate relationship” regarding. Construction is currently in progress for a new highway that bypasses Toquerville to the west.

Also near I-15, crews are preparing to pipe the remaining water from the failed Black Ridge reservoir to create a new, recreational-use pond for Toquerville residents to enjoy. The reservoir will also serve as emergency water storage.

“It will be about 3,400-acre feet of water,” Sip said. “It’s about like Baker Reservoir.”

Toquerville Mayor Justin Sip and LaVerkin Mayor Kelly Wilson at the Hurricane Valley Chamber of Commerce State-of-the-Cities address in Hurricane on March 16, 2023 | Photo by Haven Scott, St. George News

Those living in LaVerkin will soon see new businesses springing up for tourists of Washington County. In addition to a Holiday Inn already under construction, there are plans in place for an RV park and a world-class hot springs resort.

“The Zion Hot Springs Resort that is going in, that’s really going to affect everybody in the county,” LaVerkin Mayor Kelly Wilson told the crowd.

The resort will be completed in two phases with plans of hosting up to 1,100 guests, multiple swimming pools, a restaurant and lodging.

An audience member asked if the resort had any plans to combat the sulfur odor created by the springs near the bridge that separates LaVerkin and Hurricane.

“From what I understand, the people that go to those hot springs like it,” Wilson answered.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

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