Orem council continues Ken Garff rezone to May 13; residents press council on a postponed farm rezoning
April 8, 2025, 4:00 p.m. · 56 North State Street, Orem
The Orem City Council continued the Ken Garff rezone at 134 and 110 East 1200 South to May 13 at the applicant's request. During personal appearances, about a dozen residents opposed rezoning for homes on Wilkerson Farm land and criticized the postponement of that item; the mayor and several members agreed the process for postponing agenda items should be formalized. The work session covered impact fees, fleet and IT budgets, station area plans, and a second round on short-term rental rules.
From the approved minutes. Updated October 14, 2026.
Decisions at a glance
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Impact fee study | Discussed |
| IT and fleet budget for fiscal year 2026 | Discussed |
| Station area plans update | Discussed |
| Short-term rental ordinance, second discussion | Discussed |
| Gold Star Memorial Monument donations | Discussed |
| Consent: schedule change for April 22 meeting | Approved · 4-0 |
| Community Development Block Grant allocations, fiscal year 2025-26 | Discussed |
| Ken Garff rezone, 134 and 110 East 1200 South: R8 to C2, about 1.05 acres (continuance) | Continued · 4-0 |
| Motion to adjourn to closed session | Approved · 4-0 |
Agenda, item by item
Item W1 · Taxes and fees
Impact fee study
Discussed
Fred Philpot of LRB Advisors explained how impact fees are calculated for parks, public safety, transportation, water, sewer and stormwater, and said a draft facilities plan and analysis would be available 10 days before a public hearing. Growth-related investments include $25.6 million for parks and recreation, and park fees rise mainly because assumed raw land value went from about $190,000-$200,000 per acre in 2018 to $575,000. City Manager Brenn Bybee noted the figures are the maximum allowed and the city has historically adopted lower amounts; options include phasing in or adopting a percentage of the maximum. Mayor Young asked for comparisons with other cities and by housing type; Council Member Millett asked that benefits be explained to residents.
- Budget$25.6 million
Item W2 · Budget
IT and fleet budget for fiscal year 2026
Discussed
Fleet Manager Thayne Carter said the FY2026 general fund fleet request is about $1.03 million after offsets from lease surplus ($145,000) and sinking funds ($600,000), versus $1.9 million and $1.3 million in the prior two years; enterprise funds total about $1.8 million. The police request is $912,000 for 14 vehicles, and fire would finance a pumper and brush truck at $190,000 a year for ten years. IT Manager Carlo Okolowitz requested no expansions, reported new city center network upgrades, and said staff will build a central citizen portal; the information security officer described new privacy and cybersecurity policies.
- Budget$1.03 million
Item W3 · General plan
Station area plans update
Discussed
Community Development Director Gary McGinn said state law requires station area plans for the four FrontRunner stations and bus rapid transit areas by the end of 2025. The city is nearly done with the four plans, proposes a resolution of impracticability for the bus rapid transit areas, and will submit plans to MAG and UTA. Failure to adopt could affect transportation funding.
Item W4 · City code
Short-term rental ordinance, second discussion
Discussed
Deputy City Attorney D. Jacob Summers presented a draft with an eight-person occupancy limit plus per-bedroom limits, one rental per owner, a 1,000-foot spacing rule, a possible cap of 100 licenses (about 250 estimated now), non-transferable licenses and fines of $500, $750 and $1,000 with revocation on a third violation. Council members debated whether eight is too low for large homes, neighborhood-based caps instead of spacing, a night limit, ownership transparency for LLCs, and avoiding penalizing responsible hosts. Council Member Gale cautioned against over-regulation; Council Member Millett supported a cautious approach with flexibility; Mayor Young asked whether limits would help neighborhoods. Summers will revise the draft.
Item R1 · Parks
Gold Star Memorial Monument donations
Discussed
The Utah Central Association of Realtors donated $1,000 and the Orem-Lindon Rotary Club donated $2,000 toward the Gold Star Memorial Monument planned for the freedom plaza at the new City Center.
- Grant$1,000 to Utah Central Association of Realtors
- Grant$2,000 to Orem-Lindon Rotary Club
Item R2 · Presentation
Awards, Arbor Day, Kindness Week and City Hall open house
Discussed
The state parks association named the Hillcrest Park Center its Outstanding Facility and a sports field association named Lakeside Park Sporting Grounds of the Year. The city is a Tree City USA for 32 years, with about 40 trees removed for the city center to be replaced by over 100. Staff announced Kindness Week and a May 10 service day, and public tours of the new City Hall May 21-23.
Item 9.2 · Other
Consent: schedule change for April 22 meeting
Approved · 4-0
The council moved the start of the April 22 general session to 5 p.m. The January 14 minutes were pulled from the consent items.
Item 10.1 · Budget
Community Development Block Grant allocations, fiscal year 2025-26
Discussed
Staff and MAG presented recommended CDBG spending of $846,494, with 15% for public services. Orem projects total $752,820: administration ($126,529), the final Section 108 loan payment ($101,369), code enforcement ($161,500), critical home repair ($57,000) and playground replacement in low- and moderate-income parks, mainly Cherry Hill ($289,422). Orem public services total $93,674, including $30,000 for police victim services. A $17,000 regional allocation goes to the Fuller Center for Housing. A 30-day comment period begins, followed by a council vote.
- Grant$846,494
Item 10.2 · Zoning
Ken Garff rezone, 134 and 110 East 1200 South: R8 to C2, about 1.05 acres (continuance)
Continued · 4-0
At the applicant's request, the council continued the Ken Garff rezone to May 13, 2025. The minutes' roll-call text for the vote table also list Killpack and Lambson as voting yes although the attendance section records them absent; counted here as 4 present council members (needs human check).
Item 13 · Other
Motion to adjourn to closed session
Approved · 4-0
The council voted to adjourn to a closed session to discuss pending or reasonably imminent litigation, the character or professional competence of an individual, or the purchase or lease of real property. The minutes' roll-call text for the closed-session motion and the vote table also list Killpack and Lambson as voting yes although the attendance section records them absent; counted here as 4 present council members (needs human check).
What residents said
Wilkerson Farm rezoningLoss of open space and farmlandTraffic on Sandhill and Geneva roadsProcess for postponing agenda itemsConflict-of-interest policy
Roughly a dozen speakers addressed the council. Al Switzer, for a charitable organization that owns the land known as Wilkerson Farm, said the farming arrangement was unsustainable, the farm tenants must leave by May 31, and sale proceeds would support a food pantry; the proposal would be quarter-acre R8 lots. Many residents opposed development of the farm and urged preserving open space, citing traffic on Sandhill Road and Geneva Road, student rentals, train safety, and the Planning Commission's reported 5-1 vote against the rezoning. Several criticized the postponement of the rezoning item at the applicant's request and asked whether a quorum had decided outside a public meeting; one speaker asked for disclosure policies and raised possible conflicts of interest for two council members. Council Member Macdonald said he has no financial interest in the rezoning area and had only told the developer he believed residents would favor single-family housing. Council Member Gale said the item was postponed at the applicant's request as a courtesy; Council Member Millett disagreed with the postponement and said developers should not control the agenda. Mayor Young said the postponement process should be formalized and City Manager Bybee offered to bring policy options to a work session. One speaker made unrelated allegations and asked for an audit.