Planning Commission backs sending Mainline development agreement to council after debate over height and lost commercial frontage

The Roy City Planning Commission voted to forward a positive recommendation to the city council on Oct. 14, 2025, for a proposed development agreement with Mainline Company to build at 3918 South Midland Drive and 2710 West 4000 South that would increase building heights by 10 feet and eliminate the requirement for commercial frontage on 4000 South.

The recommendation came after the applicant and city staff described the proposal and answered questions about stormwater infrastructure, commercial placement and housing types. Bob Barnes, a representative of Mainline Company, told the commission the team had found an insufficiently sized stormwater pond on the northern parcel and planned a major upgrade. "When it was originally engineered, it should have been engineered to hold 55,000 cubic feet of stormwater runoff according to the hundred year plan. However, in evaluating the site, we discovered that it was only engineered to hold 27,000 cubic feet," Barnes said, adding that addressing the deficit could cost “upwards of a million dollars in stormwater detention and moving earth.”

City staff and the applicant said shifting commercial to Midland Drive from 4000 South would create more marketable commercial space and more tax revenue for the city while allowing residential entrances off 4000 South. Brody Flint, a city staff member who presented details, said the developer could purchase a small UDOT parcel if the city participates, adding that Mainline had proposed at least 10,000 square feet of commercial on Midland as part of the concept.

Public commenters urged caution. Diane Chaston, a resident who said she reviewed prior packets, told commissioners she had not been able to review a final development agreement and urged consistency with earlier decisions: "State law requires that the public have access to view the development agreement prior to the planning commission voting to approve it. I did not see the development agreement in the packet," Chaston said. Another resident, Tammy Davis, raised concerns about unit mix and family housing, asking where larger family units would be if the project emphasizes studios and one-bedrooms.

Commissioners pressed staff and the applicant for clarity on who would maintain the upgraded detention system; Barnes said the developer would maintain it. Staff emphasized the vote before the commission was a recommendation to council, not final approval of any sale, contract or the full development agreement. The project will require additional contracts, a UDOT sale agreement and finalized development agreement language before it comes to council.

The commission’s motion to forward a positive recommendation passed on a roll-call vote: Commissioner Thompson, Commissioner Tanner, Mr. Felt, Commissioner Hobert, Commissioner Bailey and Commissioner Reid all voted aye. The recommendation will be considered by the Roy City Council; the planning commission noted the full development agreement and related contracts will be made available to the public before council action.

Although commissioners and the applicant described site engineering plans and conceptual commercial square footage, the final unit mix, exact commercial square footage on Midland and the finalized development-agreement language remain to be determined in subsequent engineering, contract negotiation and council review.