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Provo council rejects 100‑unit Canyon Road rezone after resident concerns about slope, parking and ownership
Summary
Council voted 5–2 against a developer proposal to rezone 2000 North Canyon Road from single‑family to medium‑density residential for a 100‑unit project, with councilors citing height, slope removal and impacts to nearby owner‑occupied neighborhoods.
Nancy Robinson, city planner, briefed the council on a continued rezoning request to change a parcel at 2000 North Canyon Road from R‑1‑8 (single‑family) to MDR (medium‑density residential). The developer, Rob Reynolds, proposed a project that would include up to 100 units and had discussed infrastructure upgrades and landscape bonds with Public Works. "There has always been an element of ownership that has been proposed," Reynolds said when asked whether for‑sale units could be part of the project, but he also said ownership restrictions could make financing and marketability more difficult.
More than a dozen residents and neighborhood representatives spoke during public comment. Concerns focused on removal of a hillside (geotechnical stability and irrigation/canal impacts), parking impacts on collector roads, and the balance between rental units and owner‑occupied housing. Nearby residents asked for stronger guarantees on slope stability, landscaping bonds and ownership commitments in a development agreement. Several speakers said they supported infill but wanted stronger protections and higher owner‑occupancy levels.
Council members debated the project’s merits. Some members said the site acts as a transition between rental‑heavy areas and single‑family neighborhoods and could accommodate new housing; others said the proposed height (reported at up to 45 feet), slope removal and uncertain ownership commitments tipped the balance against approval. Councilor Craig Christiansen and several colleagues said they were not prepared to approve the rezoning without firmer ownership proffers. After council discussion the vote to rezone failed 5–2 (Councilors Handley and Whipple voted in favor; Councilors Christiansen, Garrett, Hoban, McKay and Bogdan voted no), and the ordinance did not advance.
Councilors and staff emphasized the city will continue to work with the developer and neighborhood on infrastructure, geotechnical review and potential design adjustments. The item will not proceed in its current form.
