Planning commission backs allowing natural gas regulator stations in public facilities zone
July 8, 2026, 6:30 p.m. · American Fork City Hall, 31 N. Church St.
With four of seven members present, the American Fork Planning Commission unanimously recommended that natural gas regulator stations be a permitted use in the PF Public Facilities zone, a change sought by Questar Gas so it can build a new station to serve a fast-growing part of the city. Commissioners narrowed the wording from the broader "natural gas facilities" to "natural gas regulator stations." The commission also recommended a rewrite of the city's floodplain rules to match new FEMA maps that took effect June 23, 2026, and a rule on how easements must be conveyed.
From the approved minutes.
Decisions at a glance
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Floodplain management code rewrite (Section 15.16) | Recommended for approval · 4-0 |
| Easement conveyance rule (Section 15.01.110) | Recommended for approval · 4-0 |
| Natural gas regulator stations in PF Public Facilities zone (AF014) | Recommended for approval · 4-0 |
| Definition of natural gas regulator station (Section 17.12.214) | Recommended for approval · 4-0 |
Agenda, item by item
Item 4a/5a · City code
Floodplain management code rewrite (Section 15.16)
Recommended for approval · 4-0
Staff-initiated amendment presented by City Engineer Ben Hunter to bring the floodplain ordinance in line with revised FEMA regulations and flood maps that took effect June 23, 2026. It adds definitions, floodplain permit application requirements and floodplain administrator duties, variance standards, substantial-damage provisions, updated roadway and finished-floor elevation requirements, newly mapped coastal flood zones around Utah Lake, and stop-work-order authority for violators. No one spoke at the public hearing.
- Initiated by: city staff
- Trigger: FEMA map revision effective June 23, 2026
- Adds Utah Lake coastal flood zones
- Creates stop-work-order authority
- Public hearing: no comments
Item 4b/5b · City code
Easement conveyance rule (Section 15.01.110)
Recommended for approval · 4-0
Staff-initiated amendment specifying what document must be used to convey easements to the city: easements must be shown on a plat when a plat is required, and otherwise conveyed with a graphical exhibit tied to the Utah County Surveyor's monument system. No public comment.
- Initiated by: city staff
- Public hearing: no comments
Item 4c/5c · Zoning
Natural gas regulator stations in PF Public Facilities zone (AF014)
Recommended for approval · 4-0
Questar Gas, represented by Kevin Mulvey, asked to amend Section 17.4.601 so it can build a new natural gas regulator station on land owned by Rocky Mountain Power, which has granted the company an easement; Mulvey said growth in the area requires another station and the company had hoped to build before winter. Staff offered two options: Option A listing "natural gas facilities" as a permitted use, or Option B making "natural gas regulator stations" a conditional use. Chair Christine Anderson and Commissioner Chris Christiansen said "natural gas facilities" was too broad; Commissioner Geoff Dupaix raised fencing/enclosure safety and the legal risk of code written for one entity. Senior Planner Cody Opperman said enclosure rules require a masonry wall within 150 feet of a residential zone and allow slatted chain-link elsewhere. The commission recommended Option A with the term changed to "natural gas regulator stations," making them a permitted rather than conditional use.
- Applicant: Kevin Mulvey for Questar Gas
- Code section: 17.4.601 PF Public Facilities zone
- Recommended: Option A (permitted use), wording changed to 'Natural Gas Regulator Stations'
- Site: Rocky Mountain Power-owned land (easement granted)
- Public hearing: no comments
Item 4d/5d · City code
Definition of natural gas regulator station (Section 17.12.214)
Recommended for approval · 4-0
Companion staff-initiated amendment adding a definition of natural gas regulator stations to the "N" definitions section of the development code. No public comment.
- Initiated by: city staff
- Companion to AF014 regulator station amendment
What residents said
No one spoke during public comment or at any of the four public hearings. Applicant Kevin Mulvey of Questar Gas addressed the commission on the regulator station item. Chair Christine Anderson introduced new city planner Justin Peng, and Senior Planner Cody Opperman gave an update on the ongoing code rewrite.