Planning commission backs medium-density designation for Meadow View Ranch on second try, approves Amazon and oil-recycling site plans
July 16, 2025, 6:00 p.m. · American Fork City Hall, 31 N. Church St.
On a second motion, the American Fork Planning Commission recommended changing 25.37 unincorporated acres at about 7058 N. 5750 W. from low- to medium-density residential for White Horse Land's Meadow View Ranch, with a recommendation to cap density at the proposed 5.87 homes per acre. Neighbors cited narrow, congested roads and railroad crossings south of the freeway. The commission also approved site plans for an Amazon AI vehicle-inspection tunnel, a 50-foot cooling tower at Rock Canyon Oil, a golf simulator business and a Walmart drive-thru ATM.
From the draft minutes.
Decisions at a glance
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Meadow View Ranch (App #2) land use map amendment, about 7058 N. 5750 W. (25.37 acres) | Recommended for approval · 4-1 |
| Off-street parking surfacing code amendment (Section 17.5.133) | Recommended for approval · 5-0 |
| Freeman Golf Simulator site plan, about 19 N. 900 West (1.24 acres) | Approved with conditions · 5-0 |
| Flite Banking drive-thru ATM (App #2), about 949 W. Grassland Drive (0.05 acres) | Approved with conditions · 5-0 |
| Rock Canyon Oil site plan, about 1669 S. 580 East (2.88 acres) | Approved with conditions · 5-0 |
| Amazon DUT2 AVI site plan, about 1222 S. 500 East (36.62 acres) | Approved with conditions · 5-0 |
Agenda, item by item
Item 3a · General plan
Meadow View Ranch (App #2) land use map amendment, about 7058 N. 5750 W. (25.37 acres)
Recommended for approval · 4-1
Second application by White Horse Land to change unannexed land from Residential Low Density to Residential Medium Density, with reduced acreage. The non-binding concept shows townhomes on the northeast portion and single-family homes elsewhere at about five to six units per acre, 25-foot driveways, possible three-car garages and visitor parking above code. Tyler Horan of White Horse Land said road and infrastructure work would largely precede construction and a preliminary traffic study found the city's transportation master plan can handle the project; he offered land for road widening. City Engineer Ben Hunter said 100 West and 500 East, minor collectors, would be improved with development and a formal traffic study comes with an application. A first motion to recommend approval (Christiansen/Dudley) failed with three yes votes, Commissioner Rod Martin voting no and Commissioner Bruce Frandsen abstaining after disclosing a personal interest in the project; staff said Frandsen could decide whether to vote because he neither owns the land nor represents the developer. A second motion adding a recommendation to limit density to 5.87 units per acre passed 4-1 with Frandsen voting yes. Frandsen noted the plan is only about 20 homes more than current zoning allows. The land later came back as the Buckwalter Meadow View Ranch 2 annexation petition.
- Applicant: White Horse Land (Tyler Horan; Nathan Horan attended)
- Acres: 25.37
- Land use: Residential Low Density → Residential Medium Density
- Density: 5.87 units/acre recommended cap (~5-6 units/acre concept)
- Unincorporated; requires annexation
- Commissioner Bruce Frandsen disclosed a personal interest, abstained on first motion, voted yes on second
- First motion failed 3-1-1 (Martin no, Frandsen abstain)
Item 3b · City code
Off-street parking surfacing code amendment (Section 17.5.133)
Recommended for approval · 5-0
Requires off-street parking, drive aisles and maneuvering areas to have a hard surface as recommended by a geotechnical engineer, for durability and emergency access. Changes to existing unpaved lots would have to conform. No public comment.
- Hard surface required per geotechnical engineer
Item 4a · Development
Freeman Golf Simulator site plan, about 19 N. 900 West (1.24 acres)
Approved with conditions · 5-0
Revised GC-2 site plan adding a golf simulator use that had been added to the property without formal review, subject to resolving staff comments.
- Acres: 1.24
- Zone: GC-2
- Kobe Freeman attended
Item 4b · Development
Flite Banking drive-thru ATM (App #2), about 949 W. Grassland Drive (0.05 acres)
Approved with conditions · 5-0
ATM on the Walmart property in the SC-1 zone, removing 12 parking stalls; Walmart still meets its parking minimum.
- Acres: 0.05
- Zone: SC-1
- 12 stalls removed
Item 4c · Development
Rock Canyon Oil site plan, about 1669 S. 580 East (2.88 acres)
Approved with conditions · 5-0
New process equipment at an existing I-1 facility that re-refines used oil: a boiler awning, processing skids and a cooling tower about 50 feet tall near the parking area, screened with landscaping and a concrete fence. Applicant Gary Burns described the business as environmentally sustainable. No DRC comments remained.
- Applicant: Gary Burns
- Acres: 2.88
- Zone: I-1
- Cooling tower: ~50 ft
Item 4d · Development
Amazon DUT2 AVI site plan, about 1222 S. 500 East (36.62 acres)
Approved with conditions · 5-0
Modifications at the existing Amazon delivery station in the PI-1 zone: an AI-based inspection tunnel for delivery vans plus parking and access changes. Camille Maxwell said the tunnel replaces drivers' manual photo inspections.
- Applicant: Amazon (Camille Maxwell, Gary Maxwell attended)
- Acres: 36.62
- Zone: PI-1
What residents said
Traffic and narrow roads south of I-15Railroad crossings blocking trafficDensity of Meadow View RanchBusinesses parking on roadways
Pharis Blackhurst, who lives across from the Meadow View Ranch site, said only two or three undersized arterial roads serve the area, shared with employees and delivery trucks, that FrontRunner/railroad crossings worsen traffic, and asked whether traffic studies were done. Dee Long supported the project only at five units an acre and said businesses park along the roads. Diana Long asked whether zoning affects street widths, saying roads are already narrow.