Council continues Epic Sports Park agreements 6-0 and sends toy bow-and-arrow rule to staff in work meeting, draft minutes show
October 6, 2026, 12:45 p.m. · 445 W. Center Street, Provo
Draft minutes submitted for council approval on Oct. 20 show the council voted 6-0, with Council Member Travis Hoban excused, to continue the Epic Sports Park commercial development items from that evening's meeting after City Attorney Brian Jones said not all seven agreements had been fully reviewed and a land noticing issue had been found. It also voted 6-0 to have staff draft a code amendment allowing toy bows and arrows in parks. The council discussed the Provo Towne Centre Mall redevelopment, a Center Street redesign, alcohol retailing downtown and a Traffic Electronics Specialist position without taking action on them. These minutes are a draft and have not yet been approved.
From the draft minutes. Updated October 16, 2026.
In brief
8 items came up for a decision or discussion: 4 discussed, 2 no action, 1 approved, and 1 continued.
The agenda records 2 dollar amounts, the largest $300,000.
5 items here are tracked in the city's development tracker.
This write-up links 3 source documents.
7 members were present and 1 absent (Council Member Travis Hoban).
The previous City Council work session meeting was on October 6, 2026: Council rejects 985 W 300 S rezone and approves Springville Rising agreement; Epic Sports Park and Lakeview CRA items continued
The next one was on October 20, 2026: Provo council approves Towne Centre mall rezone to transit-oriented zoning, 5-1
Decisions at a glance
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Up to $50,000 for a Traffic Electronics Specialist position | Discussed |
| Toy bows and arrows exemption in parks | Approved · 6-0 |
| Center Street redesign | Discussed |
| Provo Towne Centre Mall redevelopment | Discussed |
| Epic Sports Park commercial development | Continued · 6-0 |
| Access standards for new development | No action |
| Rezone at 985 W 300 S | Discussed |
| Rezone at 313 E 200 N | No action |
Agenda, item by item
Item 1 · Presentation
Mountainland Association of Governments long-range transportation plan
Discussed
Mountainland Association of Governments staff presented travel-demand modeling of the 820 North corridor under four scenarios. In the baseline, with 820 North widened to five lanes and an interchange at I-15, the model projects about 52,000 daily trips on 820 North; without the interchange, Center Street and University Parkway carry about 12,000 and 10,000 more daily trips. MAG staff said project decisions are made by the regional planning board, not the council, and that the draft plan goes to the board in November. No action was taken. (Draft minutes, 00:01:08)
Item 2 · Budget
Up to $50,000 for a Traffic Electronics Specialist position
Discussed
Traffic Manager Vern Keeslar said the city's 57 traffic signals, school-zone lights, beacons and signal fiber network are maintained by one Traffic Electronics Specialist on call around the clock. He said the position would be funded by a transfer within the engineering budget and savings from a vacant position, at no net cost to the general fund. The appropriation is on the Oct. 20 council agenda for action. (Draft minutes, 00:57:19)
- Budget$50,000
Item 3 · City code
Toy bows and arrows exemption in parks
Approved · 6-0
The council voted to have staff prepare a code amendment allowing foam-tipped toy bows and arrows used in live-action role play in public parks, with players marking off a play area and staying a reasonable distance from playgrounds and pavilions, and clarifying that foam dart blasters are allowed under existing code without a reservation program. (Draft minutes, 01:11:17)
Item 4 · Roads and utilities
Center Street redesign
Discussed
Development Services Director Bill Peperone asked for up to $300,000 for a consultant to lead a redesign of Center Street, covering traffic and intersections, aging underground utilities, bicycle and scooter access and outdoor seating, and said the storm drain fund may add to it. No action was taken; the draft minutes say a formal appropriation request is expected at a future evening meeting. (Draft minutes, 01:34:03)
- Budget$300,000
Item 5 · Presentation
Alcohol retailing in downtown Provo
Continued
Downtown Provo Inc. Executive Director Quinn Peterson presented on alcohol retailing downtown, where one standalone bar operates as a legal nonconforming use, and BYU's university counsel said the university is concerned that more alcohol availability would increase consumption. A motion was begun but not seconded. The council agreed to continue the item at its next work meeting with a staff presentation on how other cities license alcohol. (Draft minutes, 01:42:54)
Item 6 · Development
Provo Towne Centre Mall redevelopment
Discussed
City Planner Andrew Jackson listed six issues needing council direction, including whether the mobile home park parcel stays in the proposed ITOD zone, which concept plan to vest, a parking plan of about 1,000 stalls against a code requirement of about 1,800, and affordability terms of 166 units at 80% of area median income and 42 at 60%. The developers described 18 months' notice and $10,000 per household in relocation help for mobile home park residents. A bond underwriter described proposed Housing and Transit Reinvestment Zone and Public Infrastructure District financing projected at about $48 million in property tax increment and $22 million in sales tax increment over 25 to 30 years, with a present value of about $20 million in bondable proceeds. These are projections. No action was taken. (Draft minutes, 02:50:49)
Item 7 · Development
Epic Sports Park commercial development
Continued · 6-0
Economic Development Director Cody Hill described corrected agreements: sales and transient room tax participation raised from 25% to 30% and property tax increment participation from 15 to 19 years, to offset a 10% housing set-aside and 5% administrative allocation. He said the city's land, assessed at about $4.3 million, would be contributed and the developer would share 2.5% of hotel and commercial lease revenue with the city. City Attorney Brian Jones recommended a continuance, saying the participation agreement reached his office the prior Thursday, a land noticing issue had been identified and not all seven agreements had been fully reviewed. The council voted to continue the items from the evening meeting. (Draft minutes, 03:33:23)
Item 8 · City code
Access standards for new development
No action
Listed on the agenda (PLOTA20260344). The draft minutes say it was not discussed in the work meeting; it passed at the council meeting that evening.
Item 9 · Zoning
Rezone at 985 W 300 S
Discussed
Council members discussed whether Medium Density Residential zoning, which allows up to 26 units per acre, fits the site, and noted the property's current M1 zoning allows other uses. No consensus was reached (PLRZ20260213). The rezone failed at the council meeting that evening. (Draft minutes, 03:56:29)
Item 10 · Zoning
Rezone at 313 E 200 N
No action
Listed on the agenda (PLRZ20250330). The draft minutes say the council moved it to the evening meeting without substantive discussion; it was continued there.