Planning commission forwards Compass Pointe RSD zoning recommendation for 1,227 acres to city council

The Tooele City Planning Commission on Wednesday forwarded a positive recommendation to the Tooele City Council to reassign roughly 1,227 acres along the city’s northern boundary to the Compass Pointe Residential Special District (RSD), a Perry Homes zoning application that proposes up to 3,600 residential units and a minimum of 50 acres of open space.

Planning staff described the proposal as the city’s first use of an RSD, a zoning tool that lets an applicant adopt custom zoning and design standards for a large parcel. “This is the first RSD that has been proposed for Tooele City, and it is what I would consider to be a fairly big-ticket item,” Mr. Agard, a planning staff member, told the commission. He said staff worked closely with the applicant and characterized the draft as one that “will govern development patterns in a large section of the city for many years to come.”

The RSD application, submitted by Perry Homes and presented by Lindsay Neeve, would cover property roughly between 1000 North and the city’s northern boundary, and from 1200 West toward Bridal Boulevard. The application packet identifies a potential buildout of about 3,600 units and at least 50 acres of open space, including approximately 47 acres described as parks and detention and 3 acres of preserved open space. The proposal shows a mix of housing types — front- and rear-loaded townhomes, courtyard and garden-style units, single-family cottages and estate lots — and includes a concept for a regional park, additional open space and space for commercial uses along the western boundary.

Neeve said the RSD is intended to allow a range of product types and to “comply with the goals of the city, which include balanced growth and preservation, the housing options for every stage of growth.” She also told commissioners the applicant expects the development to span multiple decades and that some areas currently shown inside the RSD boundary could transition to commercial use if the residential unit allotment is exhausted over time.

A resident who identified himself only as Richard urged the commission to consider public services in parallel with development plans. “We don't have a hospital that can handle a dog bite right now,” Richard said, and questioned whether one elementary school shown in the plan would be adequate for a development of this size. The commission chair noted the commission is making a recommendation and that the City Council will review the proposal, offering the public another opportunity to comment.

Commissioners voted 6-0 to forward a positive recommendation to the City Council and to adopt the Compass Pointe RSD zoning ordinance application number 2025001 based on the findings in the staff report. The commission record shows Commissioner Proctor moved the recommendation and Commissioner Hammer seconded; the roll call recorded aye votes from Commissioners Hammer, Proctor, Hamilton, Jensen, Anderson and Sloan.

Planning staff and the applicant said the RSD would not supersede state law, building codes or fire codes; it would supersede only local zoning requirements where the RSD text applies. The application notes potential future coordination with the school district and fire district regarding an elementary school site in the north portion of the plan and a fire station near the park in the south portion, but those facilities are contingent on further review and agreements at later plat stages.

The commission’s action is a recommendation only; the City Council must review and decide whether to adopt the Compass Pointe RSD zoning ordinance. If the council holds hearings, members of the public will have another opportunity to speak.