Orem council adopts southwest area plan, with mayor's vote deciding 4-3, and caps tobacco shops at four
August 11, 2020, 4:45 p.m. · Orem City Center, 56 North State Street (held electronically)
The council amended the General Plan for the southwest area near the planned Orem temple, limiting planned developments to seven units per acre; the vote was 3-3 among council members until the mayor voted yes. It also capped retail tobacco specialty shops at four, adopted two neighborhood plans and vacated part of 450 West. The meeting was held electronically.
From the approved minutes. Updated October 14, 2026.
Decisions at a glance
Agenda, item by item
Budget
CARE Tax policy and procedure changes (work session)
Discussed
Deputy City Manager Steven Downs presented clarifications to the CARE Tax grant program: a preference for mid-major applicants that present in Orem, a requirement that audits be done by a CPA, and a short progress report from groups that have drawn little or none of their grant by Jan. 31. Council Member Debby Lauret asked about pandemic cancellations; Downs said the progress report was meant to give flexibility.
Presentation
Service Line Warranties of America annual update (work session)
Discussed
Representatives of Service Line Warranties of America, which has offered voluntary water and sewer line repair coverage to residents since 2015 with no public money, reported 3,503 customers, 5,548 coverage contracts, 539 completed repairs and an estimated $706,401 saved by residents. Council members asked about home age and multi-family coverage.
Taxes and fees
Utility account closures and base fees (work session)
Discussed
Finance Manager Brandon Nelson said landlords and seasonal residents who close utility accounts for short periods create reopening costs, and base rate fees that pay for shared infrastructure such as street lighting and storm drains are not currently collected in those cases. Staff thought it prudent to collect them. The council discussed the policy without a vote; a shut-off policy resolution came back in September.
Item Consent · Other
Consent agenda: cancel Aug. 25 meeting, retention schedule, parking boot rules
Approved · 6-0
The council approved a motion canceling the Aug. 25 meeting, the Development Services records retention schedule, and an ordinance in Section 19-7-5.C of the city code removing the requirement that a parking enforcement company contact city dispatch before booting a vehicle, with technical corrections.
Item 9.1 · General plan
General Plan amendment for the southwest area near Geneva Road and the planned Orem temple
Approved · 3-3
The southwest area was annexed in 2015. After the announced temple site at 1471 South Geneva Road, the council asked staff to review the General Plan there. The amendment adds a Low Density Residential/Southwest designation allowing 4 to 8 units per gross acre, two commercial nodes (2000 South at Geneva Road and where Lakeview Parkway meets Geneva Road), and trails along Lakeview Parkway, Geneva Road, the rail line and Walkara Way. Potential equivalent residential units for utility planning rise from 1,248 to 2,500. Of 2,455 notices mailed, 38 people joined a May 13 online neighborhood meeting. Council Members Terry Peterson and Debby Lauret said they were concerned about adding density before roads were settled, and Lauret wanted a cap of seven units, consistent with other planned developments. Peterson also cited traffic and the share of rentals in Orem. Mayor Brunst said Geneva Road is near a failing level of service and he was pursuing a five-lane widening with UDOT. Council Member Tom Macdonald asked how the number was set; Bench said the 2,500 figure was a worst-case planning projection. Mayor Brunst moved to approve with the cap at seven units rather than eight. A written comment from a Lakeview resident argued the plan would raise density and traffic and urged a delay.
- Land use: new LDR/SW designation, 4-8 units per gross acre, capped at 7 by the motion
- Potential ERUs: 1,248 → 2,500
- Trails added: Lakeview Parkway, Geneva, Rail Trail, Walkara Way
Item 9.2 · General plan
Sunset Heights East-West and Lakeview-Cherry Hill neighborhood plans
Approved · 6-0
The council adopted two neighborhood plans as part of the General Plan, developed by resident advisory committees with city staff over nine meetings and two neighborhood meetings (about 120 and 59 attendees). Themes included keeping neighborhood character, walkability, green space and responsible development near Utah Valley University. Staff said a recent rental licensing program and sidewalk work on 2000 South came from earlier plan goals. No one spoke at the hearing.
Item 9.3 · City code
Limit on retail tobacco specialty businesses
Approved · 6-0
Staff said at least eight such businesses operate in Orem, compared with four in Provo, two in Pleasant Grove and one in Lehi, and the Utah County Health Department was concerned about youth use. Staff proposed one per 15,000 residents, or six shops. Council Member Terry Peterson proposed one per 25,000 residents and a maximum of four, citing health concerns about vaping; Council Member David Spencer and Mayor Brunst agreed. Council Member Tom Macdonald said the market would limit the number. Existing shops are grandfathered as legal non-conforming uses and can change owners but not relocate.
- Limit: one shop per 25,000 residents, maximum four
Item 9.4 · Development
Vacating part of 450 West south of 500 North for four deep lots
Approved · 6-0
The applicant asked to vacate a portion of 450 West, south of 500 North to about 475 North in an R7.5 zone, so the strip can serve as a private drive for four lots in Thomasville Plat B, which the Planning Commission approved preliminarily on July 15. The city reserves a public utility easement for the sewer and water lines, and the owner must record a plat combining the vacated land with the lots. The land was originally dedicated without payment, so no money changes hands. Owners will handle snow removal and a fire hydrant at the end of the street meets requirements. The applicant said family members plan to build on two lots and one would stay open space.
What residents said
Density in the southwest areaTraffic on Geneva RoadPolice oversight and use-of-force policyVirtual meetings limiting public input
A resident asked the council to start a citizen oversight board for police, to involve residents in hiring a new police chief, and to tighten local use-of-force rules. A Lakeview resident's comment on the southwest plan said development decisions favored developers, that virtual meetings limited public input, and asked the council to delay the vote.