The Spanish Fork Planning Commission approved a site-plan application to install eight Tesla electric-vehicle charging stalls at the Cracker Barrel restaurant in the Eastern Shore Center. Planning staff said the applicant reduced the original proposal, approximately halving the number of charger stalls, and that the project meets the city’s updated zoning provisions for accessory EV charging installations.

Casey, city planning staff, said the original plan proposed remodeling 22 parking spaces and installing 16 chargers; the applicant scaled that back and is now proposing eight EV charging stalls. “They've actually cut the initial proposal more or less in half,” Casey said. Staff reviewed the revised plans and determined the proposed chargers do not reduce the minimum parking requirement for the restaurant and conform to the recently adopted special provisions in the zoning ordinance that permit accessory EV-charging uses in business and industrial districts.

Why it matters: The approval reflects a local implementation of rules for EV charging infrastructure and clarifies how accessory charging stations are treated relative to minimum parking requirements. Commissioners said the updated ordinance language — crafted after comparing ordinances from other municipalities and state guidance — permits EV chargers accessory to an existing primary use and can be allowed where gas stations would be permitted, depending on owner designation and compliance with parking minimums.

Outcome: A motion to approve agenda item 250704, the site-plan application for the GPD charge site Tesla EV chargers, passed on a roll-call vote with the following recorded yes votes: Commissioner Gant; Commissioner Lemoine; Commissioner Vaughn; Commissioner Lindsey; Commissioner Smith; and Commissioner McMillan.

Next steps: The applicant may proceed with the site-plan implementation subject to the conditions and technical requirements normally applied during permit and construction stages.