Grand County Planners Back Resort Rezoning Above Slickrock Bike Trail

Five of seven Grand County planners voted March 23 to recommend rezoning 235 acres above the Slickrock Bike Trail from Range and Grazing to Resort Commercial, moving the Steen family's Sand Flats property one step closer to development rights that could reshape one of Moab's most iconic recreation corridors.

The recommendation is advisory; the Grand County Commission holds the deciding vote at a public hearing set for April 7 at 6 p.m. Under Resort Commercial zoning, the parcel could support visitor-oriented development at densities reaching up to five residential units per acre, a stark departure from the land's current agricultural designation.

Proponents frame the rezoning as an opportunity to expand lodging and visitor services along a corridor that draws riders and tourists to Sand Flats year-round. The two dissenting commissioners, along with critics who spoke at the March 23 meeting, raised concerns about scale, traffic impacts, water demand and the integrity of the Sand Flats Recreation Area. The 235-acre footprint sitting directly above the Slickrock Bike Trail amplifies those concerns: this is not a roadside parcel on the edge of town.

The April 7 hearing arrives in the thick of Moab's spring rush. The 60th Easter Jeep Safari brings an enormous off-highway crowd to Sand Flats in the weeks surrounding the commission's scheduled vote, putting county leaders in the position of making a long-range land-use call at peak season. How that backdrop shapes testimony from trail users, neighbors and conservation groups remains to be seen.

The rezoning question also connects to live planning conversations about Sand Flats road improvements and multi-use access, meaning the April 7 decision could carry ripple effects beyond the Steen parcel. If the commission approves the rezoning, proposals for hotels, infrastructure and visitor services along that ridgeline above Slickrock would become viable, bringing both tax revenue and intensified pressure on the terrain that defines Moab mountain biking.

The Grand County Commission public hearing is at 6 p.m. on April 7, 2026.