Southern Utah's future won't be decided by accident.

We take you inside the most consequential choices shaping St. George right now—from Tech Ridge's emerging skyline and the plan to heal the Black Hill scar, to the four paradoxes that determine whether growth feels livable or overwhelming: housing, resources, wages, and heritage.

What You'll Get in This Episode:

• Tech Ridge vision – skyline impacts, 60 acres of parks and trails, and smarter traffic with new southern access
• Black Hill scar fix – why this signals stewardship and design standards for the future
• Housing paradox – supply constraints on only 11% developable land vs. policies that inflate demand
• Resource limits – water scarcity, hillside ordinances, and view corridors that protect ridges
• Jobs and wages – moving from population-tied sectors to higher-pay career ladders
• Heritage and identity – trails, lights, festivals, and shared rituals that bind newcomers to long-timers
• Balance of power – courts vs. executive authority and Utah's redistricting tension
• Community spotlight – Stuff The Bus toy drive at Station One on December 5th
• Live format plans – upcoming guests and a call for your input

This is a candid, on-the-ground tour of how density, design, and economic mix can protect views, trails, and small-town character while raising incomes and keeping families here. From clustered mixed-use neighborhoods to the policies that make beauty non-negotiable, we lay out the roadmap to grow with intent.

We also zoom out to the national headlines shaping the backdrop: UAP revelations, courts rebalancing executive power, and how these threads pull back to local stakes—trust in institutions, transparent tradeoffs, and the social fabric that keeps neighbors moving in the same direction.

If you care about where St. George is headed over the next 20 years, this is your jumping-in point.

Subscribe, share with a neighbor, and tell us in the comments: What heritage do you refuse to lose as Southern Utah grows? Your voice is the difference between growth that happens to us and a future we build on purpose.

Looking for a Real Estate expert? Find us here!

www.wealth435.com
https://linktr.ee/wealth435

Below are our wonderful friends!

Find FS Coffee here:
https://fscoffeecompany.com/

Find Tuacahn Amphitheater here:
https://www.tuacahn.org/

Find Blue Form Media here:
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#StGeorge #SouthernUtah #UtahPolitics #HousingCrisis #TechRidge #WashingtonCounty #CommunityDevelopment #The435Podcast

[00:00:00] Opening Banter And Show Setup
[00:07:15] Tech Ridge Plans And The Black Hill Scar
[00:18:40] Density, Traffic, And Skyline Impacts
[00:27:30] Age Of Disclosure And UAP Politics
[00:38:05] Courts, Borders, And Balance Of Power
[00:49:20] Community Drive: Stuff The Bus Details
[00:53:45] Holiday Events Around Southern Utah
[00:59:20] Framing Southern Utah's Growth Pillars

Southern Utah is changing fast—and we’re breaking down the real forces driving growth, prices, politics, and water. This episode cuts through the noise to explain what’s really happening with drought, development, new builds, county policy, and the power struggles shaping the future of Washington County.

We start local with the Purgatory jail expansion, why the new medical wing matters, and how it ties into the region’s long-term fiscal strategy. Then we shift to housing and builder moves: Lennar tapping the brakes nationally while Pulte picks up new land in Desert Color. The message? The market isn’t dead—it’s cautious, competitive, and shifting.

And yes… water is still the #1 issue.
We break down the county’s five-stage drought plan, penalties tied to residential connections, what this means for high-use sites like golf courses, and the rising tensions between conservation, affordability, and growth. With the Colorado River negotiations stalled and the Lake Powell pipeline delayed, Washington County is leaning heavily on the Virgin River Basin and price signals to limit demand.

We also dig into:
• Bill Gates’ climate pivot + the energy demands of AI
• The myths behind 50-year mortgages and portable loans
• What actually helps affordability (first-time buyer aid, tiered rates, zoning reform)
• Why Utah’s redistricting ruling could reshape representation
• Plus: Four open city council seats in Hurricane, Ivins, Santa Clara & St. George—your chance to influence local policy without running a full campaign

If you care about Southern Utah real estate, housing affordability, growth, water policy, politics, or local government, this is the episode you can’t miss.

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Looking to buy, sell, or relocate in Southern Utah?
Visit realestate435.com — we’d love to help you find home or make your next move.

Follow us on all social platforms for real-time updates, behind-the-scenes insight, and local market news.

Looking for a Real Estate expert? Find us here!

www.wealth435.com
https://linktr.ee/wealth435

Below are our wonderful friends!

Find FS Coffee here:
https://fscoffeecompany.com/

Find Tuacahn Amphitheater here:
https://www.tuacahn.org/

Find Blue Form Media here:
https://www.blueformmedia.com/

[00:00:00] Cold Open And Local Headlines
[00:05:36] Lennar Pullback Vs Pulte Land Bet
[00:11:12] AI Hype, Returns, And Bubble Risks
[00:17:06] Water Contingency Plan: Stages And Cuts
[00:28:12] Lower Vs Upper Basin Tensions
[00:34:18] 50-Year Mortgages And Tradeoffs
[00:41:20] Real Fixes: First-Time Aid And Zoning
[00:49:28] Direct Democracy Vs Representation
[00:53:15] Weekend Plans And Listener CTA

Send us a text

Fresh leadership, fresh pressure, and a fresh set of misconceptions.

We kicked off our first live show by unpacking Southern Utah's election night: Hurricane and Santa Clara shakeups, tight Springdale margins, and a notable flip in St. George. We explain why council vacancies won't be handpicked by mayors and how Utah's state code forces an open application process. It sounds procedural, but it decides who steers land use, growth, and the choices that shape our cities for decades.

What You'll Get in This Episode:
St. George mayoral change and council seat mechanics
Hurricane, Santa Clara, and Springdale results and close races
How vacancies are filled by council application and vote—not mayoral appointment
National outcomes and realistic limits on big-city agendas
Government shutdown pressure on SNAP benefits for 42 million Americans and air traffic controller pay
Uranium and vanadium mine restart in southeastern Utah: jobs, water treatment, and oversight
Data centers, grid demand, and nuclear versus solar tradeoffs
Redistricting shifts across states and Utah's Prop 4 timeline
Fed rate cut versus 10-year yield and mortgage myths busted
Washington County housing inventory, absorption rates, and pricing strategy
Who's buying, retiree inflows, and stable median prices around $525K

From local election mechanics to federal shutdown fallout, energy policy, redistricting fights, and what the Fed's cut really means for mortgages and local housing—we connect the dots so you see the bigger picture behind the headlines.

If this helped you understand what's really shaping Southern Utah, subscribe, share with a friend, and drop your questions in the comments—we'll feature the best ones on the next live show.

Looking for a Real Estate expert? Find us here!

www.wealth435.com
https://linktr.ee/wealth435

Below are our wonderful friends!

Find FS Coffee here:
https://fscoffeecompany.com/

Find Tuacahn Amphitheater here:
https://www.tuacahn.org/

Find Blue Form Media here:
https://www.blueformmedia.com/

[00:00:00] Live Launch And Format Shift
[00:03:54] Southern Utah Election Results
[00:11:02] How Vacant Council Seats Get Filled
[00:17:59] St. George Mayoral Flip And Impact
[00:27:27] Voter Turnout And Growth Pressure
[00:34:25] National Results And NYC Shockwaves
[00:41:08] Government Shutdown: SNAP And ATC
[00:50:15] Uranium And Vanadium Mine Restart
[00:58:45] Energy Demand, Data Centers, Costs
[01:04:02] Redistricting Fights In Multiple States