TREMONTON CITY CORPORATION
PLANNING COMMISSION
DECEMBER 14, 2021

Members Present:
Micah Capener, Chairman—excused
Jordan Conrad, Commission Member—excused
Penni Dennis, Commission Member
Paul Fowler, Commission Member
Brad Janssen, Commission Member—excused
Layne Sorensen, Commission Member
Tom Stokes, Commission Member
Bret Rohde, City Councilmember
Steve Bench, Zoning Administrator
Cynthia Nelson, Deputy Recorder

Co-Chairman Fowler called the Planning Commission Meeting to order at 5:31 p.m. The meeting was held December 14, 2021 in the City Council Meeting Room at 102 South Tremont Street, Tremonton, Utah. Co-Chairman Fowler, Commission Members Dennis, Sorensen, Stokes, City Councilmember Rohde, Zoning Administrator Bench, and Deputy Recorder Nelson were in attendance. Chairman Capener and Commission Members Conrad and Janssen were excused.

1. Approval of agenda:

Motion by Commission Member Dennis to approve the December 14, 2021 agenda. Motion seconded by Commission Member Sorensen. Vote: Co-Chairman Fowler, Commission Member Dennis – aye, Commission Member Sorensen – aye, Commission Member Stokes – aye. Motion approved.

2. Declaration of Conflict of Interest: None.

3. Approval of minutes – October 12, October 26, & November 9, 2021

Co-Chairman Fowler said on page 12 paragraph 2 it says; Commission Member Fowler said we have added that to our apartments. If we build more upper end homes that would drive up, but the correct statement was drive down, prices because there is not an inventory. This was an abbreviated conversation, which is one thing I noticed about the notes. They are more abbreviated than the actual conversations we had. In that context the phrase was building more homes drives down prices not drives up. I would like to have that corrected.

Motion by Commission Member Stokes to approve the minutes of October 12, 2021 with the correction stated above. Motion seconded by Commission Member Sorensen. Vote: Co-Chairman Fowler, Commission Member Dennis – aye, Commission Member Sorensen – aye, Commission Member Stokes – aye. Motion approved.

Co-Chairman Fowler said I have some concerns with the October 26, 2021 minutes. I think there are missing comments and conversations. I do not know that we got it all recorded nor can I say from memory all the things that are missing. One of the things that came to mind and this is what sparked that some of it is missing is that Commission Member Stokes brought something up that I think needs to be put back in the record. When we were talking about Rivers Edge, Commission Member Stokes had done research and one of the points he made was that this particular development was more well thought out, well planned, and would complete additions to our City. That was part of his reason for voting for that. I think that needs to be in the record. Commission Member Dennis said how come we missed a lot of comments on these minutes? Commission Member Sorensen said the next one is where a bunch of comments are missing because the recording did not work. Co-Chairman Fowler said so that had to be on the November 9, 2021 minutes then. I still feel that information should be noted in those minutes. Commission Member Dennis said so the October 26, 2021 minutes are okay it was the November 9, 2021 meeting.

Motion by Commission Member Dennis to approve the minutes of October 26, 2021. Motion seconded by Commission Member Sorensen. Vote: Co-Chairman Fowler, Commission Member Dennis – aye, Commission Member Sorensen – aye, Commission Member Stokes – aye. Motion approved.

Commission Member Stokes said that was a better-outlined development than we have had and it is not piece milling things. We usually get half a street and another half a street with no clue of where it is going. Do I agree with all the dang apartments in it? No, but that was the gist of that comment. Co-Chairman Fowler said this one was a more well thought out plan.

Motion by Commission Member Sorensen to approve the minutes of November 9, 2021 with the added comments since we were lacking audio with technical issues. Motion seconded by Commission Member Dennis. Vote: Co-Chairman Fowler, Commission Member Dennis – aye, Commission Member Sorensen – aye, Commission Member Stokes – aye. Motion approved.

Co-Chairman Fowler said I would like there to be a footnote that some of that information was missing. Deputy Recorder Nelson said that was mentioned in the minutes. The recording was so garbled they had to do some technical stuff and get it fixed for the next meeting.

4. Public Hearing: The continuation of public hearing from November 9, 2021 will be on January 11, 2022.

5. New Business:

a. Discussion of possible zone change at 2495 W 1000 N from R1-20 to R1-10 – Jesus Pena and Bryce Sadler

Commission Member Stokes said what is the zoning around it? Administrator Bench said R1-10 to the south and R1-20 for the rest. Mr. Pena owns this property, which is zoned half an acre and is just shy of an acre. Mr. Pena said there is just too much for one to maximize that land. We discussed subdividing it into four lots (quarter acres), but after looking into the details it was determined we could only fit three lots to be within the requirements. One of the concerns was to make sure the driveway or easement going into these lots would mirror what is across the street. The access used to be on the east side, but we moved that to the west. The second concern was with utilities. We have access to power, water, and sewer. We have met with the owners to the east and they are happy to accommodate us to trench across their property to tie into sewer. Administrator Bench said the drive is wide enough for emergency access of a fire truck (a 24-foot wide turnaround). They will do gravity flow for sewer. It will not be pumped. There will be easements with three laterals across there or just a larger one. When asked about curb and gutter, Administrator Bench said they have to do that on the public street (1000 North), but not the private lane. When asked about secondary water, Administrator Bench said the mains would be at the curb and would have to be extended to the houses. The first lot fronts the street. Co-Chairman Fowler said wouldn’t we just provide it to the front of the curb? We have a deep lot and the backyard is being subdivided for two more houses on a private lane. Administrator Bench said that should say three not both and will need to be corrected. They will put three meters in at the road. The homeowners will pay for the water lines to the houses. The City will stub them in the main street, not the private lane. The developer is also responsible to bring sewer to the property. We will correct these changes and take it to a public hearing.

Motion by Co-Chairman Fowler to approve this and prepare it for a public hearing. Motion seconded by Commission Member Sorensen. Vote: Co-Chairman Fowler, Commission Member Dennis – aye, Commission Member Sorensen – aye, Commission Member Stokes – aye. Motion approved.

b. Preliminary review for River Valley Phases 8 & 9 – Garth Day

Chairman Bench said they are continuing the River Valley phases 8 and 9. Phase 8 is zoned Mixed Use. These are all townhomes that will be sold as individual units. This phase connects to 2650 W to the north and to the south it connects to BR Mountain Road. This is the preliminary for 21 units, which are all for sale. There would be three three-plex buildings and three four-plexes. The Commission spent time addressing the dimensions of the BR Mountain Road (80 feet wide) and how it would be built in the future. Mr. Day said we are working with the City to do a detention basin. It would be 10 to 12 acres and would include a park. Administrator Bench said that would provide us with a bigger basin so all the little ones could be removed. The Commission talked about how that would drain and be usable for a park and sporting events. Commission Member Stokes said my concerns is that we have this retention pond right next to the freeway between two roads. Is that really where you would want your kids to play? The one proposed for east Tremonton is in the middle of a subdivision and it is not near a bunch of roads. If you put one between two busy roads, a collector road and a freeway, I think that is asinine. Mr. Day said we are not proposing to build it as part of our development this is a separate, future thing. We own the property to the south and have been working with the City engineer and manager to get that detention basin. What the City chooses to do with that is up to you. Councilmember Rohde said the drawing I have seen has a parking lot and all kinds of things to create a lot of distance from the road. Commission Member Stokes said I am struggling with those being parks since they are so far from residential.

Administrator Bench explained the layout and different access points. Mr. Day said the fire department needed this access for better circulation on Phase 9. The rest is limited. We do not want the driveways dropping into the road or to be a cutoff so people drive through the private area to get out on the road. Co-Chairman Fowler said it is nice to pull a fire truck through there, but that is dumping people from a driveway onto what I would call a high-volume, high-speed road and that presents its own safety issues. I think people will drive right through that driveway connecting the two like a street. Administrator Bench it provides more circulation to keep some of them from going onto that. There are three outlets into there. When they are done and get the road in, it will dead end. There is not much going past that driveway for now. Co-Chairman Fowler said we want to discourage people from using that as a cutoff.

Mr. Day said we have rear-loaded units on the BR Mountain Road, but the front door is facing the City street. It is a design the City wanted. Commission Member Stokes said will it be like 1400 North in Logan? Those front the street and they park on the street. Administrator Bench said that is why we require the overabundance of parking (2.25 stalls per unit). That allows parking for visitors. The HOA would police the parking and our police will police the street. As it grows and becomes what it will be, that road will have four lanes and a center lane with no parking. Commission Member Sorensen said I like the idea of the nicer part of the building facing the street. Administrator Bench said and these are set back 25 feet from the property line.

Motion by Commission Member Sorensen to send these phases back to the DRC. Motion seconded by Commission Member Stokes. Vote: Co-Chairman Fowler, Commission Member Dennis – aye, Commission Member Sorensen – aye, Commission Member Stokes – aye. Motion approved.

Councilmember Rohde said I would like to propose that we cut the Planning Commission down to five members instead of seven. That is what most Commissions are. I think if we can get a commitment to have at least three people here, we could move forward. I would like you people to think about it. Commission Member Stokes is leaving and Commission Member Janssen mentioned he wanted to be done, too. It would be down to five anyway. Administrator Bench said it would have to be amended in the codebook. Councilmember Rohde said over the next year we will be working hard on a future Land Use Plan so we can be more proactive rather than reactive. In the last City Council meeting someone brought up the code about having more than 35 homes on one access and it says there may be more than one entrance. They want it to be shall rather than may and they want it enforced.

6. Adjournment

Motion by Commission Member Stokes to adjourn the meeting. Motion seconded by consensus of the Board. The meeting adjourned at 6:32 p.m.

The undersigned duly acting and appointed Recorder for Tremonton City Corporation hereby certifies that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Planning Commission held on the above referenced date. Minutes were prepared by Jessica Tanner.

Dated this 8th day of February, 2022

 

______________________________
Linsey Nessen, CITY RECORDER

*Utah Code 52-4-202, (6) allows for a topic to be raised by the public and discussed by the public body even though it was not included in the agenda or advance public notice given; however, no final action will be taken.