Planning commission backs rezoning for 56 townhomes at 6000 South, recommends city council approval

The Royce City Planning Commission unanimously recommended that the city council rezone roughly 3.8 acres near 2349 West 6000 South from RE-20 (Residential Estates) to R-5 (Multifamily Residential) to allow a proposed 56-unit, for-sale townhome project.

The motion, made during the commission's July 8 meeting, forwards the rezone and the associated future-land-use change from single-family to multifamily for final action by the city council. The developer described the proposal as 56 three-story townhomes (about 1,400–1,500 square feet each) with attached two-car garages, roughly 15 units per acre. The applicant said the units are intended to be “naturally affordable” for sale under $400,000 so Roy residents can remain in the city.

Commission staff said the commission previously recommended R-4 on condition of a text amendment to increase R-4 density; the city council left R-4 unchanged and has now approved R-5 zoning elsewhere, so the applicant returned asking explicitly for R-5. Staff recommended a positive recommendation to council, noting that site-plan review, engineering, traffic and stormwater review and fire-code review remain separate steps before any building permits could be issued.

Public comment at the hearing was mixed. Neighbors who live adjacent to the property raised traffic, safety and access concerns, saying 6000 South is busy and that sight-lines and left-turn access will need careful study. Other residents supported the plan, saying Roy needs more housing and that townhomes can provide ownership entry points for young families. One commenter asked whether the units would meet the state definition of “moderate-income housing,” citing Utah code and area median income numbers and urging clarity about how “affordable” would be ensured; staff and the applicant responded that the city cannot unilaterally require homeownership or rental status without a negotiated development agreement, and that specific affordability or deed-restriction commitments would be matters for a later agreement or site-plan/subdivision approvals.

Staff told the commission that minimum parking is governed by ordinance (2 spaces per unit plus 0.5 visitor spaces per unit), that stormwater detention and utility sizing will be examined by public works and the city engineer, and that a traffic study is typically required when access or roadway impacts are a concern. The commission noted those site-level checks will occur during the site-plan stage.

The commission’s recommendation sends the rezoning and future-land-use amendment to the city council for its decision; staff said it may appear on the council agenda as soon as the next meeting but advised the public to watch the council agenda for scheduling. The commission’s action is advisory only; the council will make the final decision.