Orem council lowers North Village District height limit to 48 feet in the core and raises parking requirement after hours of public opposition
July 27, 2021, 6:00 p.m. · Council Chambers, 56 North State Street
At a special meeting, the Orem City Council amended the North Village District zoning to cap building height at 48 feet in the core and 35 feet at the edge and to require 2.25 parking stalls per unit. The Planning Commission had recommended against the change. About 30 residents spoke at the hearing, nearly all citing traffic and parking concerns near State Street and 400 West.
From the approved minutes. Updated October 14, 2026.
Decisions at a glance
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| North Village District height and parking standards (Orem City Code 22-24-5(F) and (H)) | Approved · 5-0 |
Agenda, item by item
Zoning
North Village District height and parking standards (Orem City Code 22-24-5(F) and (H))
Approved · 5-0
Planning Division Manager Jason Bench said the ordinance would set a 48-foot height limit in the district core and 35 feet at the edge, with 2.25 parking stalls per unit, and that the Planning Commission voted against recommending it. Commission Chairman Mickey Cochran said the commission believed the existing standards of 2 stalls per unit and a 60-foot limit already met state and city standards. Mayor Richard Brunst said he would prefer a 60-foot core maximum, argued that limiting height could slow State Street growth, and said high-density housing pushed out of this zone could end up in less suitable areas, but that given the amount of opposition he would vote for the amendments. Council Members Jeff Lambson, Debby Lauret, Brent Sumner, David Spencer, Tom Macdonald and Terry Peterson each said they would vote for lower height limits; Lambson cited the State Street master plan's call for small-scale development in the district, Sumner said no commercial property owner had spoken against it, and Peterson noted the Lindon temple would add traffic. Spencer asked staff afterward to review height and parking standards in each State Street zone.
- Core height limit: 48 feet (previously 60 feet proposed/existing)
- Edge height limit: 35 feet
- Parking: 2.25 stalls per unit (existing 2)
- Planning Commission recommendation: against
What residents said
Traffic on 400 West and 1600 NorthParkingBuilding heightHigh-density housingIntersection safety
About 30 residents spoke during the public hearing, which ran from 6:21 to 7:31 p.m. Most raised traffic on 400 West, 1600 North and State Street, and parking. Several supported the lower height and higher parking numbers; some said a 60-foot high-density project did not fit the district's small-scale intent or the State Street master plan. One speaker who lives near other high-density housing said traffic there had not changed much. Others said parking at existing complexes is inadequate.