[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6670498,"mediaKeyId","2172409-226fd4f1560425f20496148d02cb33d0","parentId",2172409,"title","Council approves temporary 50% impact‑fee reduction for qualifying senior affordable housing projects","audioSeconds",321,"startMs",3151000,"endMs",3472000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2172409-226fd4f1560425f20496148d02cb33d0&start=3151&end=3472","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2172409-226fd4f1560425f20496148d02cb33d0/thumbnail_3151000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6670498/Orem/Utah-County/Utah/Council-approves-temporary-50-impactfee-reduction-for-qualifying-senior-affordable-housing-projects","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6670498-2740474b723765b89865f88248dc9be4/orig.mp4?Expires=1773123204&Signature=GVZFiebNHYzDLfYXgDUZSN~z32bXx-S~e8YN7JX1xrvzIj7BFYtOPmR9ip1lIR~BQqucW9y2PCLv-ywkf3bdlfX2917R9iLItWBfs4ZxpZllep7LR6EIZJ7NF4Fk~oFenF5VLm9D93jvZ~hJNgJMKJKPn2HgFalYeLizEaIIPr0xJ3SgpJo95JS8m9frHldZEm4OP8feCC-oFutt44nyw6zRDODOd53Xuj9gP5p6mXGttIEfE~iXWAvp2eF1mA3WhWINMR0jqVRQ6gfaL3TvPIta6a7zgwV7Hd8wKdEVaGdaF4ttS7OTXl37wVFavc1T~V7HtOyw9my9EeZyZiTnYA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Orem","date","2025-01-01T05:35:12.627Z","article","The Orem City Council approved, as part of the consent agenda, a resolution implementing a staff recommendation from the Planning Division and Management Services to reduce city impact fees by 50% for qualifying affordable senior housing projects that meet the city’s ASH (Affordable Senior Housing) overlay criteria.

Background: The state requires cities to adopt and report a moderate‑income housing strategy. Orem’s strategy included studying whether a discounted impact fee policy could promote affordable senior housing. Staff reported that since the overlay was adopted in 2012 a small number of projects — primarily four‑unit complexes — used the designation and that impact fees collected on those developments totaled about $74,122 over the last decade. Reducing fees by 50% would have reduced past payments by roughly $37,000.

Staff recommendation and fiscal estimate: After analyzing historical uptake, city staff recommended adoption of the 50% fee reduction for qualifying senior projects to incentivize development that keeps rents affordable for households at or below the overlay income thresholds. Staff estimated that, if used, the policy would carry a modest fiscal exposure to the city — roughly $30,000–$50,000 over the next ten years — depending on how many qualifying projects proceed.

Council action: The measure was placed on the consent agenda and approved as part of the approved consent items. Councilmembers discussed the measure briefly during the packet review; staff emphasized annual monitoring and the ability to revisit the policy if fiscal impacts are greater than projected.

Why it matters: The change is an implementation step tied to the state‑required moderate‑income housing planning process and aims to lower a fixed up‑front development cost that may be a barrier to smaller affordable senior apartment developments. The council directed staff to monitor results and report back if the scale of participation and fiscal impact change.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Orem City Council Meeting 12.10.2024","oneSentenceSummary","The Orem City Council approved a resolution to reduce certain city impact fees by 50% for qualifying affordable senior housing projects in order to advance the city’s moderate‑income housing strategy required by the state.","taxTitle","Orem, Utah County, Utah","taxId",2947,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6670502,"Council continues Whitestone/Whitaker farm rezone so landowner and neighbors can explore conservation options",899,2926000,3825000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2172409-226fd4f1560425f20496148d02cb33d0&start=2926&end=3825","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2172409-226fd4f1560425f20496148d02cb33d0/thumbnail_2926000.jpg","/articles/6670502/Orem/Utah-County/Utah/Council-continues-WhitestoneWhitaker-farm-rezone-so-landowner-and-neighbors-can-explore-conservation-options","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6670502-5c76e533a2565265fcd82c3ddfb5c057/orig.mp4?Expires=1773123204&Signature=nZKALC-cf3tH51bF~xXUs2~EXtY6wNhIuU-Fqlve59uosayID401hqDcnu0g8lAYXVUuIgNP7By2g6H~cTbY8-~wFrjaSKA4DB8PiDgrwpBhgdo2VUPdbXOWIBM6seQK6KuJeGvT0f5Vwwdy2nVXEEy9Xv1sCZdjxl0E6IeBQajvw6m7qx3GbACXmMoT69ntTs8wJWu-ffIqfwZYE1ld~JEM385xgDkN8uEPeu0xmPYdvWkttrKmigugq6XqYpADBmV5P5YTscpRkyAcpxC9gKuunxeF0Hy9mTjjZGmiVjQCt530BVVHi9H33w5P0vxdijmqZ42sHy3JWs~4Pr-a9w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Orem City Council voted to continue a public hearing and decision on a proposed rezoning and concept plan for approximately 14.18 acres at 710 W. 2000 South — commonly known as the Wilkerson/Whitaker farm — until the council’s meeting on Feb. 11, 2026.

The applicant, a private developer working with Keystone Construction, asked to rezone the parcel from OS‑5 to a Planned Residential Development to permit a mix of single‑family and townhome units. The developer proposed about 97 units in a plan that included a row of townhomes placed along the Union Pacific rail line, single‑family lots to the west and a pocket of common open space and a small playground. The application included elevations, conceptual unit sizes (roughly 1,700–2,100 square feet for single‑family and about 1,800–2,100 square feet for townhomes) and a parking plan showing private garages plus a number of guest spaces.

At the hearing, dozens of neighbors, nearby homeowners’ association leaders and civic organizations urged the council to preserve the property. Several speakers emphasized that Wilkerson Farm is a longstanding community agritourism destination that draws tens of thousands of visitors annually and donates produce to charitable food operations such as Tabitha’s Way. Speakers included Wilkerson Farm managers and representatives of Tabitha’s Way, who explained their past partnership and the organization’s reliance on donated produce at times. Other residents described traffic and pedestrian safety concerns on 2000 South and Sand Hill Road and requested preservation of the mature “park strip” of trees along the west boundary.

After hearing the public and the applicant, the council discussed procedural and policy issues. Several council members said they were uncomfortable issuing a final rezoning decision without more information and suggested a short pause so that the property owner and community organizations can pursue potential conservation‑easement funding or other options to preserve the land. The council also asked staff to clarify technical questions about utility capacity and to obtain the revised layout that the applicant provided to neighborhood leaders (a plan that reduces lot counts along the western edge to better transition to adjacent single‑family lots).

Action taken: The council voted to continue the matter to the Feb. 11, 2026 council meeting and asked staff to coordinate with the applicant about updated exhibits and to provide a clear list of technical items the city will review in the interim.

Why it matters: The parcel is unusual for central Orem in its mix of active agritourism, open space and proximity to neighborhoods. Residents urged the council to preserve the land and to explore conservation‑easement options; the owner and seller described financial and market pressures that drove the decision to consider redevelopment. Council members noted the policy tradeoffs between preserving open space and allowing redevelopment that creates for‑sale housing.","After more than two hours of public testimony — including dozens of residents urging preservation — the council voted to continue consideration of a rezone request for the Whitaker/Wilkerson farm until the Feb. 11, 2026 meeting to give the property owner and neighbors time to explore conservation‑easement options and alternative plans.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6670508,"Council denies Tri Pointe rezone for Canyon Park Tech Center redevelopment",364,1497000,1861000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2172409-226fd4f1560425f20496148d02cb33d0&start=1497&end=1861","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2172409-226fd4f1560425f20496148d02cb33d0/thumbnail_1497000.jpg","/articles/6670508/Orem/Utah-County/Utah/Council-denies-Tri-Pointe-rezone-for-Canyon-Park-Tech-Center-redevelopment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6670508-65d9f19529ecd252c8c4a66e94506383/orig.mp4?Expires=1773123204&Signature=O~3~Fqis2C2IYE47bNy2GPM~ubtg0yoL8islID20PH1cz5GItD018It3m5cy3Cb5cDsP3N~GSUFNkzyzpGnqndE78WdO20~B-zKhBN~7kdfmam7kSUfC3yWu0hvnERGbagCuIyP1oxNT92MTa-2PvOYVcFkQqNTAlejaOpGUIuBrEb5r8BI7SQP3vOAZflHPKwSVxkTCkUH21dbDX8489zD2Doaj~Iy4glac0lgNyu9uXgcUQWoJMatxjhL37PCFX-8fR~tH5B0bIRFpfqh78FZD71sctz6Ih0LfveU7Ag51ZXvSnKKfU4qveZ2MX7eI3gmqL1YzIm5LQgzsCmtE5A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Orem City Council voted on a motion to deny a request to rezone approximately 24.3 acres at the Canyon Park Tech Center to a Planned Residential Development (PD 54) and to adopt the concept plan submitted by the applicant.

Developers Tri Pointe Homes and the property owner, the Mueller Company, proposed replacing several vacant and lightly used office buildings with a mix of single‑family detached homes and townhomes. The applicant said the change was intended to address persistent office vacancy at the campus and to provide for new for‑sale housing in Orem. Tri Pointe presented a revised plan that reduced the proposed number of units from an earlier 150 to about 108, paired with open space and a homeowners association that would maintain street landscaping and common areas.

The Planning Commission held a public hearing on Nov. 6 and forwarded a unanimous recommendation of denial to the City Council; commissioners cited neighborhood compatibility, open‑space loss and the effect of added residential density near existing single‑family neighborhoods. At the Council hearing opponents reiterated those points, emphasizing traffic and parking concerns on 2000 South and Sand Hill Road, potential noise and vibration from the adjacent Union Pacific railroad and the loss of trees and a mature park strip on the western edge of the site. More than 60 people spoke at the meeting, nearly all urging denial or further changes. Several testified in support of protecting the property as open space or seeking a conservation easement.

The developer and property owner argued the campus has significant long‑term office vacancy and that the project would allow a transition that preserves large portions of the existing park‑like setting while bringing new for‑sale housing. They also told the council they had met repeatedly with neighbors and revised the layout and lot sizes in response to feedback.

After deliberation, the council approved a motion to deny the rezone request.

What happened at council: The council considered the Planning Commission record, the applicant’s revised plan and more than an hour of public comment. Council members who voted to deny cited incompatibility with surrounding low‑density neighborhoods and concern about precedent for other property conversions in Orem. Members who spoke in favor of allowing redevelopment cited the high office vacancy in parts of the city’s commercial inventory and the need for more for‑sale housing types. The motion to deny passed at the meeting.

What’s next: The vote was a denial of the PD 54 rezone application before the council. Under Orem procedure, the applicant could choose to revise and resubmit a materially different proposal (for example an alternative layout, a lower total unit count, or a standard R‑zone application) or pursue other options; state and local notice and appeal timelines would apply. The Canyon Park owner and Tri Pointe indicated they will review the council’s feedback and decide on next steps.","After hours of testimony from neighbors and developers, the Orem City Council voted to deny a proposed rezone and master plan from the Canyon Park owner and Tri Pointe Homes that would have allowed about 108 detached homes and townhomes on 24.3 acres of the Tech Center campus.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council approves temporary 50% impact‑fee reduction for qualifying senior affordable housing projects

Council continues Whitestone/Whitaker farm rezone so landowner and neighbors can explore conservation options

Council denies Tri Pointe rezone for Canyon Park Tech Center redevelopment