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Council to consider amendment allowing condos at Orchards parcel; planning staff flag development feasibility
Summary
Staff briefed the council on an amendment to a 2017 development agreement for a 4.17‑acre parcel east of Center Street that would return a previously approved multifamily layout from three larger buildings back to five smaller buildings and convert apartments to condominiums.
City planning staff told the Santaquin City Council that a developer has requested an amendment to a 2017 development agreement covering a roughly 4.17‑acre parcel east of Center Street, just south of the railroad tracks. The amendment would change the current plan from three larger apartment buildings to five smaller buildings (60 units were referenced in the plan) and would allow condo ownership instead of rental apartments.
Staff said the change does not alter planned amenities, increases open space slightly, and could enable homeownership opportunities for units that previously were intended as apartments. The parcel is surrounded by existing townhomes and single-family homes; utilities and some parking were already stubbed for the original plan, staff told the council.
Planning staff also brought two related code items to the council’s attention for upcoming regular meeting consideration: an ordinance (0404) modifying multifamily density in the Main Street Business (MSR) district and a second ordinance (0405) that updates parking requirements to comply with recent state legislation. For the MSR ordinance, Planning Commission recommended a maximum of 8 units per acre in the district; staff cautioned that 8 units per acre is a low density for multifamily and might make development infeasible without a development agreement.
Why this matters: Councilmembers discussed the tradeoffs between limiting density on the downtown Main Street corridor and allowing enough density for multifamily projects to be financially feasible. Staff reminded the council that development agreements remain an option to allow alternate densities if the council wants to enable higher densities on a case-by-case basis.
Next steps: The amendment request and related ordinances are scheduled as agenda items for the regular council meeting; staff offered to present comparative plans and to show the prior and revised site layouts if the council wants a side‑by‑side review before action.
