Council members say they want no more density as residents pack zoning rewrite session
February 3, 2026, 4:00 p.m. · City Hall, 51 E. Main St.
In a joint session with the Planning Commission attended by more than two dozen residents, Mayor Pro Tem Clark Taylor said the 18-month general plan, zoning and code rewrite is not meant to add density, and Councilmembers Hunter, Taylor and Carroll said they do not want density beyond what is already approved. Staff had proposed dropping the R1-9000 zone and rezoning those lots to R1-7500, which residents read as upzoning; members signaled the R1-9000 zone could be kept. Consultants MHTN presented a six-node polycentric city plan, and the council gave the PARC tax board guidance on equipment, salaries and out-of-city performances.
From the approved minutes.
Decisions at a glance
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Polycentric city plan | Discussed |
| Municipal code rewrite and zoning | Discussed |
| PARC tax policies | Discussed |
Agenda, item by item
Item 1 · General plan
Polycentric city plan
Discussed
MHTN consultants (Ryan Wallace, Emily Seang, Lauren Leydsman, Mehrnaz Fereydouni) presented a long-range plan built around six nodes: Transit (TOD area), Commercial (west side north of I-15), Downtown (Main Street), East Gateway (State Street), Employment (near the I-15/500 East exit) and Recreation (Boat Harbor), plus a transit circulator study looking at on-demand service, realigned routes and a FrontRunner circulator, and a shore-to-summit trail to be pursued with grants.
- Consultant: MHTN
Item 2 · City code
Municipal code rewrite and zoning
Discussed
Consultant Cherylyn Egner and Development Services Director Patrick O'Brien said the RA-5 agricultural protection zone was restored to the draft. Staff had proposed eliminating the R1-9000 zone and rezoning those lots to R1-7500 to avoid making them nonconforming; Councilmember Hunter said residents saw it as increasing density, and members discussed keeping R1-9000. ADU rules were deferred until after the legislative session. Members asked for zoning maps showing exact boundaries. Hunter, Taylor and Carroll each said they do not want density beyond what is already approved, noting infrastructure was sized to existing zoning. Setbacks were a major resident concern. A Planning Commission public hearing was set for the next night.
- RA-5 zone restored
- R1-9000 zone retention discussed
Item 3 · Parks
PARC tax policies
Discussed
Councilmember Carroll reviewed PARC board recommendations: one standard financial form for all applicants; no late applications; equipment for arts groups allowed under conditions (clear need, storage and tracking; no private facilities or land); aim for a 70/30 recreation/arts split; administrative costs including salaries capped at 10% of an award and under $80,000 a year; and limited flexibility for performances outside the city. Taylor and Carroll wanted funds kept in American Fork; Hunter recalled special-needs swings that went unfunded. Adopted Feb. 10.
- Salary cap: 10% of award, under $80,000/year
- Target 70/30 recreation/arts split
What residents said
Fear the zoning rewrite would increase densityRemoval of R1-9000 zoneADUsSetbacks
Residents attended in large numbers; Christine Anderson favored more options for landowners, including allowing property owners to subdivide. Members noted residents' concerns over density, ADUs, setbacks and removal of the R1-9000 zone.