Centerville council debates land-use changes, directs staff to study West Side and targeted infill

Centerville City Council members met Jan. 14 at Centerville City Hall for a special session focused on the city's general plan and future land-use map, heard a presentation and asked staff to study targeted changes — especially on the city's West Side — and to report back after a public open house scheduled for Jan. 30 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Councilmember Spencer framed his presentation around what he called "graduated continuity," urging incremental transitions in use, building height and density rather than abrupt changes between single-family neighborhoods and denser housing. He said the city faces a supply shortfall and described policy-driven barriers to redevelopment: "We have supply constraints based off of our current land use plan," Spencer said during the presentation.

The discussion centered on three linked goals: increasing housing supply in ways that fit neighborhood character, preserving Centerville's existing residential areas, and identifying locations where higher-density or mixed-use development would be appropriate. Spencer offered specific places for further study, including the southwest corner of Main Street and Porter Lane, parts of South Main Street, and nodes near the commercial corridor by the theater. He presented data from local multiple-listing records and a city-staff pay scale to illustrate affordability challenges: he reported four units built after 2020 on the market, 31 total units for sale, about 46 units listed overall (with roughly 15 vacant), and a calculated shortfall of about 680 housing units under his modeling assumptions.

Several councilmembers and staff expressed interest in focusing denser development where it would not change the city's long-standing east-side single-family character. Councilmember Robin repeated a frequent theme in the meeting: "We represent all of them," referring to both long-time residents and families who want affordable options for children. Councilmember Gina said the discussion reflected a statewide challenge: "We have to carefully plan and think about how we provide housing because this is a statewide problem," she said.

Councilmembers generally agreed to give staff direction to refine land-use options rather than to adopt specific zoning changes at the meeting. The council asked planning staff to prepare alternative maps and implementation tools that could: (1) translate subjective density labels ("residential low/medium/high") into clear units-per-acre or R-4/R-6 style designations; (2) identify West Side locations suitable for mixed-use or attached housing while preserving the East Side's character east of Main Street; and (3) develop incentives or conditions (for example, density bonuses tied to affordability or development agreements that phase commercial and residential construction) that could be used in negotiations with developers.

City planning staff and engineering staff discussed environmental and infrastructure questions tied to West Side development. "FEMA is currently studying the Great Salt Lake," Stephanie (engineering) said, noting the agency's ongoing work to define buildable elevations and wave-action buffers. Staff also flagged soil and elevation work that likely would be needed for development west of I-15 and emphasized potential mitigation measures such as filtration ponds and wetlands that could accompany redevelopment.

The council also discussed outreach and next steps: public boards with maps and a survey are posted and will remain available through the open house; staff will circulate additional materials and digital content, including short videos, to encourage public comment. Councilmembers asked staff to return with revised maps and proposed policy tools after analyzing public feedback from the Jan. 30 event.

Votes at a glance: the meeting concluded with a procedural motion (text not specified in the transcript) that received a voice vote of "Aye." The substantive land-use items were handled as direction to staff rather than formal ordinances or rezones at this meeting.

The council's next steps are procedural: staff will refine land-use illustrations and possible code tools, schedule follow-up discussion after the Jan. 30 open house and then bring recommended changes back to the council for formal consideration. The council emphasized a preference for targeted, location-specific changes rather than broad, citywide reclassification.