The Provo City Planning Commission voted unanimously Aug. 27 to forward a positive recommendation to the Municipal Council to rezone 920 West 1020 South from a mix of RA (residential agricultural) and R-1.8 to R-1.7 to allow the existing parcel to be subdivided into two lots.

The rezoning request, presented by planning staff Jessica, was introduced as necessary because “it cannot be subdivided into 2 lots and meet the requirements of either of the respective lots,” Jessica said. She told the commission the proposed R-1.7 designation “matches the surrounding density in the neighborhood while still allowing that lot to be subdivided into 2 lots, each of which would be allowed to have a single family dwelling on the lot.”

The matter drew brief public comment from the applicant, Charles Anthony Morales, who said the lot is intended for his future home and that an existing barn on the parcel would be removed. Morales said his grandmother, Vai Heron, who lives on the adjacent lot, supports the rezoning; Heron spoke in support at the meeting and described the parcel’s history, saying the family retained a lot for gardening when the area was originally developed as Heron Haven.

Commission discussion focused on technical zoning criteria. Staff explained the reason the parcel needs R-1.7 rather than R-1.8 is a one-foot frontage shortfall: an R-1.8 lot would require 80 feet of frontage while the proposed lot would be 79 feet. Jessica said rezoning to R-1.7 requires no code exceptions; rezoning to R-1.8 would instead require a variance for the one-foot deficiency.

Commissioner Lisa Jensen proposed forwarding the item to staff as a code-rewrite consideration, noting several recent infill requests hinge on frontage and setback language in the zoning code. After discussion, Jensen moved to forward a positive recommendation; Commissioner Barbie Desoto seconded the motion. The commission voted aye unanimously and the recommendation will go to the Municipal Council for final action.

Action details and next steps: the Planning Commission’s recommendation does not itself change zoning; the Municipal Council will hold the final vote. Staff noted the adjoining property owner had been asked and chose to remain RA. For property owners outside eligible zones, planning staff reiterated the process for permitting ADUs is set by city code and that applicants outside eligible areas must apply for text amendments or zone map amendments with owner signatures as required.

For more information, residents were directed to review City Code Title 14, Chapter 30 and to contact planning staff for questions about the rezoning and subdivision process.