The Spanish Fork City Council approved an agricultural protection area (APA) proposed by the Larson family on Feb. 4 after more than an hour of staff explanation and public comment from neighbors, agricultural advisory members and state officials.

Why it matters: An APA provides property owners special protections against nuisance lawsuits and restricts some uses of eminent domain for 20 years under state law; opponents argued the overlay can complicate future infrastructure and development decisions and urged the council to deny or add conditions, while supporters said the APA is the primary tool available to protect working farmland.

Staff presentation and timeline: Planning staff reviewed the statutory and municipal APA process, noting that city code requires certain criteria be considered (minimum acreage, contiguous parcels, agricultural use and greenbelt considerations). Staff noted timeline sensitivities — the application was dated in November and the council had statutory time to act; staff presented options to approve as submitted, approve with modifications (for example excluding specific future road or utility corridors), continue for further review, or deny.

Applicant argument: Jackie Larson, representing the applicants, asked council to approve the 41.7-acre APA as submitted and without conditions. Larson noted the proposed APA aligns with the adjacent county-level Leland APA and that the family’s land has a farming history; she asked staff to correct a mapping discrepancy for a small city-owned parcel and asked the council to approve the area as drawn.

Public comment and expert testimony: Neighbors Clint and Janice Harris — who live adjacent to the proposed APA — said they support farmland protection generally but opposed the APA as drafted because they feared the overlay could limit their family’s future development rights and complicate access to utilities. Katie Quavisto, a former Lehi city council member, described Lehi’s experience with an APA that produced protracted legal and development conflicts and urged caution or denial. Dean Ingram, a nearby property owner and developer, said he has been negotiating easements with Larson and supported working with the landowner but flagged the importance of keeping utility corridors available.

Several agriculture experts and advisors supported the APA. Richard Behling, a member of the county Ag Advisory Board, asked the council to approve the APA as submitted, saying the board had approved contiguous protections and that roads included in the boundary reflect typical county practice. Jay Olson, a county planning coordinator with the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, told council that applicants do not have to be on greenbelt (Farmland Assessment Act) to qualify for APA and encouraged Spanish Fork to follow its ordinance and options. Diane Garcia, who conducts farmland assessment work for Utah County, explained greenbelt is a tax designation with a separate lien process and not a prerequisite for APA approval.

Council deliberation and motion: Council members discussed concerns about mapping and the city’s existing transportation and utility master plan corridors; staff said they can correct parcel descriptions and that city-owned parcels can be removed from the APA if the council so directs. Councilman Marshall moved to approve the proposed APA “as submitted to the county,” citing that the proposal met the municipal and state criteria for consideration. Councilman Carden seconded. The council voted unanimously in favor on roll call (Council members present voted yes), and the ordinance was approved.

What the APA does and next steps: The APA will provide the landowners a 20-year protection that notifies nearby property owners of agricultural operations within 300 feet and gives the landowners a statutory defense to certain nuisance claims and additional consideration when eminent domain or infrastructure is proposed. Staff said they will follow up on the mapping clarification requested by the applicant, and that future infrastructure work (rights-of-way, easements) will remain negotiable — council members emphasized the city’s preference to work cooperatively with landowners and developers prior to any condemnation action.

The council did not attach conditions to the approval beyond standard mapping corrections; staff will prepare ordinance language and legal descriptions consistent with the council’s vote.