Planning commission gives negative recommendation for land-use change at 249 E. 1000 N.

The Tooele City Planning Commission voted 6-0 on May 14 to forward a negative recommendation to the City Council on a land-use map amendment request for 11.7 acres at 249 East 1000 North.

The applicant, represented by Boyd Brown and Jake Hone of Grow Development, asked to reassign the property from medium-density residential to light industrial to enable development of a light-industrial business park for small “flex” spaces. Planner Kent Page told the commission the same parcel had a prior application seeking high-density residential that the council denied last year because of lack of water.

Grow Development said the proposal seeks smaller industrial and commercial uses — “flex space” — to incubate local businesses, including contractor shops and small retailers, and that some units would be for sale to owner-occupants. “We are really excited for this opportunity,” Jake Hone said, and added the project would serve as a transition zone between regional commercial and residential areas.

Several commissioners raised concern about proximity to existing homes and the range of uses the light industrial designation allows. The commission asked staff to note that the light industrial zone permits more intensive nonresidential uses than neighborhood commercial and that such uses could be adjacent to homes.

A resident who said he lives on 1000 North spoke against the change, saying Tooele already has ample industrial space and expressing concern about traffic and loss of future residential lots.

Commissioner Hamilton moved to forward a negative recommendation to the City Council, and Commissioner Proctor seconded. The commission voted unanimously 6-0 to send a negative recommendation to the council based on the findings in the staff report.