Planning commission recommends rezoning, approves design changes for Orem PUD on McEwen Drive

The Franklin Municipal Planning Commission voted July 24 to recommend that the Board of Mayor and Aldermen rezone and adopt a revised master plan for the Orem planned-unit development south of East McEwen Drive and west of Carruthers Parkway.

The commission approved the rezoning recommendation and then voted, item by item, on four requested modifications of standards for the development plan. Commissioners approved a request to allow pitched or gabled roofs for nonresidential and mixed-use buildings, allowed three digital interactive wayfinding panels limited to interior village-center locations, denied broad approval for new exposed neon/LED sign illumination, and approved string lighting in designated pedestrian areas. Staff told the commission the revised plan would cut projected vehicle trips on the McEwen–Carruthers corridor compared with the earlier entitlements.

Why it matters: The Orem site sits within the city’s Envision Franklin regional commerce design concept, a designation intended for high-intensity, mixed-use centers serving employers and visitors regionwide. The commission’s recommendations set new entitlements and send the package to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BOMA) for final…