Orem council backs state grant bid for Crandall Orchard conservation easement
September 28, 2021, 3:00 p.m. · City Council Conference Room (work session) and Council Chambers (regular session), 56 North State Street
The Orem City Council unanimously passed a resolution of support for a conservation easement on the Crandall family orchard, which the owners need to apply to the state's LeRay McAllister Critical Lands Conservation Fund. The council also approved a city code update after Council Member Terry Peterson pulled it from the consent agenda to ask about records rules for staff development reviews. Council Member Jeff Lambson was excused and Council Member Brent Sumner took part electronically.
From the approved minutes. Updated October 14, 2026.
Decisions at a glance
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Resolution of support for Crandall Orchard open space conservation easement | Approved · 5-0 |
| City code updates | Approved · 5-0 |
| Consent agenda: Heritage Advisory Commission appointment and 2021 Utility Financial Plan | Approved · 5-0 |
| Work session: Farley property water tank | Discussed |
Agenda, item by item
Parks
Resolution of support for Crandall Orchard open space conservation easement
Approved · 5-0
Staff said the proposal covers four parcels of about 12.76 acres near 800 East and Center Street operated as an orchard, with about 4.09 acres of nearby parcels that could be added if their owners agree. The state fund requires a letter of support from the local government, and a resolution is the most practical form. Funds would go to the property owner; the easement is intended to be permanent, though it can legally be undone. The resolution says the easement cannot block the Orem master plan. Four speakers, including a family member and a neighborhood historian, supported it as a way to keep open space and Orem's orchard heritage. Council Member Tom Macdonald raised possible future roads.
- Acres: 12.76 (plus about 4.09 optional)
- Funding sought: state LeRay McAllister Critical Lands Conservation Fund (partial)
City code
City code updates
Approved · 5-0
Council Member Peterson said he was concerned about changes related to records requests and the staff Development Review Committee. City Attorney Heather Schriever said the update brings city code in line with a 2018 state change that protects transcripts of closed meetings, as well as recordings, and that the committee is not a public body. Development Services Director Ryan Clark described the committee as staff who review plans and return redlined comments to applicants.
Budget
Consent agenda: Heritage Advisory Commission appointment and 2021 Utility Financial Plan
Approved · 5-0
The council appointed Russ Sneddon to the Heritage Advisory Commission and approved a resolution adopting the 2021 Utility Financial Plan, reviewed in the Sept. 14 work session. The code update was removed from the consent vote.
Roads and utilities
Work session: Farley property water tank
Discussed
The engineer showed new renderings with the tank completely underground, plus a concrete fence option on three sides and booster pump station proposals. The council agreed the design could go to the public.
Presentation
Work session: Utah Valley University update and annual human resources report
Discussed
A UVU representative gave an anniversary update and said the university wants a traffic study. The city human resources director reviewed demographics, benefits, turnover, recruitment, training and COVID-19 safety measures.
What residents said
Neighborhood encroachment near University MallTrafficSite plan process and transparency
Four Hillcrest-area residents and others spoke about the State Street moratorium and development near University Mall. They said commercial owners were buying residential lots for construction staging, that traffic cuts through the neighborhood, and that additional high-density housing would add to it. One resident said site plan submissions had been accepted without the neighborhood meeting the city code requires and asked about legal exposure. One speaker thanked the council for revisiting the State Street districts.