Tooele County panel approves 226‑lot West South Rim preliminary plat; questions raised over traffic, water and phasing

The Tooele County Planning and Zoning Commission on a unanimous vote approved preliminary plat SUB2025‑001 for the West South Rim subdivision, clearing the way for a five‑phase development that will eventually total 226 residential lots.

The applicant, Doug Hogan, told the commission the plat had received signoffs from county reviewers including fire, engineering, health, roads and planning and said the subdivision will be developed in five phases. “There’s adequate water,” Hogan said, and “as part of this subdivision, there would be a million gallon tank that would be installed.” He added the tank’s location and elevation were chosen to meet or exceed required fire flows.

Commissioners and members of the public raised compatibility and infrastructure questions. Resident John Drabic said he was concerned about compatibility with nearby South Rim phases 1–3 and about traffic on Silver Avenue and effects from an existing nearby pit. Commissioners asked about timelines for the five phases; Hogan said phasing is driven by market demand and county rules that limit how far improvements can be advanced before lot sales reach a specified threshold. Hogan described that requirement as a county ordinance that prevents a developer from installing all infrastructure and turning it over to the county until a sales threshold is reached; he said that threshold requires a percentage of lots under contract before a next phase’s infrastructure proceeds.

Commissioners also queried construction‑traffic routing. Hogan said the applicant will request contractors to prefer approaches from the west and noted that major infrastructure deliveries would be routed via Mormon Trail when feasible. The applicant acknowledged some road safety and drainage spots on Silver Avenue and said he expected the county roads department to address those over time.

The commission heard that lot sizes for the project are governed by current zoning: “they have to be 1 acre minimum,” Planning staff said, noting the county’s repeal of a prior PUD allowance that had permitted smaller lots elsewhere in South Rim. Commissioners and the applicant discussed the developer’s expectation that final plats for phase 1 would follow quickly after preliminary approval but that later phases depend on market uptake.

After questions and public comment the commission moved, seconded and approved the preliminary plat by roll call; commissioners voted unanimously to approve the application. The approval was recorded without conditions recorded in the public transcript.

The applicant thanked county planning staff for their review work and said he would return to answer additional questions if they arise.