General plan update
Two-year rewrite of the city's general plan covering land use, transportation, moderate-income housing, development focus areas, parks and trails, public facilities and water, and historic preservation. Staff scaled back land-use changes after a large February hearing; the Planning Commission recommended it 7-0 Aug. 19 and the council adopted it 5-0 Sept. 8.
- Where it stands
- Approved
- Type
- Area or general plan
- Location
- Citywide
- Applicant
- American Fork City
Every hearing and vote
March 15, 2022 · City Council work session
Parks element of the General Plan
Discussed
Parks and Recreation Committee chair Scott Roudabush presented a target of 5 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the city collects impact fees at about 4.54 acres. Meeting the target would need 119 more acres by 2030. Shelton suggested PARC Tax could fund land purchases.
May 10, 2022 · City Council
Parks element of the General Plan (Resolution 2022-05-10R)
Approved · 4-0
Adopted an updated parks element. Community Services Director Camden Bird said the update lowers the previously adopted park level-of-service standard; Shelton suggested PARC Tax could help buy park land.
September 27, 2022 · City Council
Moderate-income housing element of the general plan
Approved · 5-0
Adopted the state-required moderate-income housing element; City Planner Patrick O'Brien said strategies were chosen to match existing city direction, with the Station Area Plan first, and failing to meet goals could cost state funding and grants. Shelton moved to move detached accessory dwelling units to year one; the motion died for lack of a second.
January 21, 2025 · City Council work session
General plan update with Planning Commission
Discussed
Land use, annexation (to the lake; possible boundary adjustment with Highland on the north), open space and trails (NRPA half-mile park standard shows major south-side gap; Monarch Park more natural), public engagement requests (updated rec center, farmers market, splash pad, trails, event center). Focus areas: Commercial Center, Transit Center, Downtown, East Gateway, Employment Center (500 East rebrand), Recreation Center (Boat Harbor/lakeshore: campground, beach, waterfront commercial, better 500 East interchange access), North Gateway (state land). Members said another east-west route from 500 East is needed to relieve 200 South; O'Brien said the station area plan provides for it. Zones to be reduced from 16.
- Consultant: Chris Hupp (Psomas)
- Funding: MAG
January 22, 2025 · Planning Commission
General plan and station area plan update
Discussed
O'Brien thanked commissioners who attended the general plan meeting the night before and asked for comments by Feb. 10.
February 20, 2025 · City Council work session
General plan, station area plan and department outlooks
Discussed
Population grew from 33,337 (2020) to about 45,335 with 4,873 new units. Police face wage competition and space; fire apparatus costs up 50-100%, a new station needs 15 employees, and Station 51 needs about 4,000 sq. ft. or Station 53 sooner; public works needs space and has a water rights application facing four protests. GO bond capacity is largest but requires a vote.
November 18, 2025 · City Council
General plan update (joint with Planning Commission)
Discussed
Chris Hupp of Psomas summarized engagement themes (connectivity, trails, housing mix, public works facilities, growth mainly south of I-15, commercial revitalization) and seven plan elements including moderate-income housing and water conservation. The future land use map leaves the north side largely unchanged with optional missing-middle overlays, and focuses on the area south of I-15 near the transit corridor, downtown, and an East Gateway along State Street. Councilmember Hunter said land south of a planned park and east of 100 East (the church parcel) should not be shown as attached residential; Carroll recalled the council told a 500 East applicant it did not want more density there; staff mentioned densities around 55 units per acre in mixed-use areas.
- Consultant: Psomas (Chris Hupp)
December 3, 2025 · Planning Commission
General plan comment deadline
Discussed
Chair Anderson noted commissioners had until Dec. 8, 2025, to send comments on the draft general plan to Development Services Director Patrick O'Brien, and few had been submitted.
February 3, 2026 · City Council work session
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
February 4, 2026 · Planning Commission
General plan update
Pending
Public hearing on a full update of the American Fork General Plan setting a new vision for growth. No vote was taken.
- Hearing only; no vote
February 4, 2026 · Planning Commission
Citywide zoning map update
Pending
Public hearing, with Class A notice, on a new zoning map aligning zone classifications with the proposed general plan land uses and new code. No vote was taken.
- Hearing only; no vote
- Proposals residents cited: RA-1 to PF north of cemetery (~23 acres), Shoreline Protection near Boat Harbor Road, 100 North commercial to R-4, 300 North to professional office, Spring Creek TOD to RA-5
March 17, 2026 · City Council work session
Proposed zoning map amendments
Discussed
Development Services Director Patrick O'Brien said the general-plan-driven zoning map (including eliminating the R1-9000 zone) was scrapped after heavy public feedback; residential zones (including R1-12 and R1-7500) stay unchanged. Remaining proposals: square off the PO-1 zone north of the hospital, affecting one residential lot, and rezone the State Street eastern gateway from GC-1 to GC-2 to favor restaurants and retail over warehouses. Councilmember Hunter relayed concerns from residents on the north side of 300 North about traffic and losing residential character, suggesting the south side of 300 North as the office boundary; O'Brien noted some owners are subdividing rear lots to sell to the IHC hospital campus. Hunter said the general plan consultant took a broader approach than staff intended; O'Brien agreed and said funding deadlines contributed. Timeline: Planning Commission April 15, open house May 20, council late June.
- Original citywide residential rezoning dropped
- PO-1 near hospital/300 North and State Street GC-1 → GC-2 remain
March 31, 2026 · City Council work session
General plan, land use map and code rewrite
Discussed
Development Services Director Patrick O'Brien presented the draft general plan (about 143 pages) with seven focus areas, six of them covered by the polycentric city center plan. The land use map corrects errors left by past consultants and would replace low/medium-density labels with detached vs. attached housing categories. Members questioned commercial designations near the Boat Harbor where a TSSD utility project is planned and along I-15, 500 East and State Street. Councilmember John asked for the full document, citing consultant inaccuracies. O'Brien said MAG treats the funded project as open until adopted, creating urgency; Planning Commission review was set for April 15. Consultant Cherylyn Egner said the city now seems to prefer keeping current setbacks and heights.
- General plan: first major update in about 15 years
- Funded in part by MAG
April 15, 2026 · Planning Commission work session
General plan, zoning map and development code rewrite
Discussed
O'Brien presented the presentation given to the City Council two weeks earlier, with a public open house targeted for May 20. The code rewrite removes outdated sections (34 pages of obsolete building code) and conforms to new state law, including detached ADUs on lots over 11,000 square feet. Proposed residential side setbacks would go from 8/10 feet (18 combined) to 10/12 feet on interior lots and 8/20 feet on corner lots, to give access for trailers, sheds and pools and reduce trailers parked on streets; Commissioner Harold Dudley worried about existing homes, and commissioners asked for 'legal non-conforming' language and suggested 8 and 12 feet. Commercial zones would pull buildings to the street with parking behind (maximum 10-foot setback in CC-1). The PO-1 zone along 300 North would be squared off and unannexed parcels added to it upon annexation; Anderson relayed one owner's objection, and O'Brien said existing homes would be grandfathered. PI-1 would gain box gyms, cheer and indoor sports as possible conditional uses; I-1 stays the same, S-1 may fold into PF (including the Developmental Center, whose managers are exploring redevelopment), and the SP zone near the Boat Harbor would get manicured open space and a boardwalk trail. Land use designations would be simplified, a linear park would follow the Vineyard Connector/Pony Express alignment under the power corridor, and land west of it would be held until the connector alignment with Lehi is settled. Commissioners also raised planning commission term limits, set for council discussion May 5.
- Presenter: Patrick O'Brien, Development Services Director
- Open house targeted for May 20, 2026
- Side setbacks proposed: 10/12 ft interior, 8/20 ft corner (now 8/10 ft)
- Commission suggestion: 8 and 12 ft
- PI-1: gyms/indoor sports as conditional use
- No action taken
August 19, 2026 · Planning Commission
American Fork General Plan update
Recommended for approval · 7-0
Patrick O'Brien presented the rewritten general plan, in the works since spring 2024 and 85% funded by the Mountainland Association of Governments. After a February hearing drew about 350 people focused on the land-use map, staff aligned the map with existing zoning citywide and scaled back proposed changes, with remaining shifts around the Boat Harbor commercial area and eastern (State Street) and northern (temple/Developmental Center) gateways. The plan has seven elements: land use, multimodal transportation, moderate-income housing, development focus areas, parks/open space/trails, public facilities and water, and historic preservation, plus an implementation strategy; the city's population is estimated at 41,000-46,000. Commissioner Geoff Dupaix pressed for better east-west road connectivity and a firmer stance with the railroad. The City Council adopted the plan 5-0 on Sept. 8, according to the American Fork Citizen.
- Prepared by: city staff with MAG funding (85%)
- Seven elements including state-required water use and moderate-income housing
- Planning horizon: 10-20 years; review about every five years
- Council adopted 5-0 Sept. 8 (American Fork Citizen)
September 8, 2026 · City Council
2026 General Plan update
Approved · 5-0
Adopts a rewritten general plan covering land use, transportation, moderate-income housing, parks and open space, water, historic preservation and new 'development focus areas' for downtown and commercial gateways, closing a two-year effort. A February Planning Commission hearing drew about 350 residents objecting to a companion citywide rezoning, most of which the city withdrew. Land use and transportation maps are largely unchanged; low-density single-family categories are renamed 'single-family detached.' The council corrected parcel 13-067-0017 (south of 1100 South, east of Boat Harbor Road) to planned light industrial. Cost $162,222, with the city paying $16,222 and Mountainland Association of Governments the rest.
- Plan cost: $162,222 (city share $16,222)
- Parcel 13-067-0017 redesignated planned light industrial