The Provo City Planning Commission on Aug. 27 recommended that the Municipal Council rezone municipal property near 3200 West Bulldog Lane to allow a mixed subdivision with 68 total homes, including 34 income-restricted ‘‘workforce’’ units and 34 market-rate homes. The recommendation was unanimous.

City staff and the developer described the project as a public–private partnership between Provo City and Nelson Homes to place workforce-priced single-family homes inside city limits. Bill (Planning staff) said the land was annexed with an OSPR (Open Space Preservation and Recreation) holding designation and later offered through an RFP; Nielsen Homes (also referred to as Nelson/Nielsen Homes in the record) responded with a plan for detached housing that mixes market-rate and workforce units. Bill explained workforce homes would be preserved by placing land in the Utah County Land Trust while buyers own the house, and that income limits for workforce units would follow HUD-style thresholds tied to household size.

Nelson Homes’ representatives described proposed home sizes and unit counts. Matt Meyer (Nelson Homes) said workforce units would start at about 1,100–1,200 square feet while larger market-rate units could reach roughly 1,500–1,600 square feet. Lacey Richards, who has led a similar development elsewhere, said priority sales to first responders and first-time buyers have worked in previous projects and that deed restrictions and land-trust administration can be used to enforce income limits and owner-occupancy requirements.

The hearing drew extensive public comment: some residents adjacent to the site urged denial or delay, citing prior construction vibration and reported damage after Provo High School construction, a high water table, wetland habitat, drainage and safety at nearby crosswalks. Chantal Aiken and other speakers said foundations in the neighboring area are fragile and asked for guarantees or mitigation measures for potential damage; several speakers asked about school capacity and traffic at Bulldog Lane and Lakeshore Drive. Others—among them Provo police officers and fire department representatives—spoke in favor of the project, saying it would help recruit and retain first responders and provide attainable homeownership.

Staff and the developer addressed those concerns at the meeting. Bill said Army Corps of Engineers wetland delineation had been completed for the site; the darker-green areas on staff maps were identified as jurisdictional wetlands and the project plan avoids those delineated wetlands. He said wetlands in the project footprint would be preserved as open space and that the Army Corps would permit boardwalk-type trail crossings where necessary. Nelson Homes said they would follow geotechnical recommendations, use non‑vibratory compaction near sensitive foundations where feasible, and conduct preconstruction neighbor outreach. The land-trust mechanism and deed restrictions were described as tools to enforce income restrictions and owner-occupancy for the workforce homes.

Commissioners asked about school capacity, sewer capacity and traffic studies. Staff said the city has a land‑bank for sewer capacity and that this project would draw from that balance; specific traffic warrants and pedestrian-crossing evaluations are addressed during the subdivision and engineering review stage, not the zoning recommendation stage. Following discussion, Commissioner motioned and the commission voted unanimously to recommend the zone map amendment and the planned development overlay to the Municipal Council.

Action and next steps: the Planning Commission recommendation sends the rezoning and planned development request to the Municipal Council for final action. If approved, the project will proceed to detailed platting, engineering, and coordination with the Utah County Land Trust to define qualification, deed restrictions and resale/ appreciation limits for workforce units.