Planning Commission approves Big O Tires parking expansion with modified conditions

The North Ogden City Planning Commission voted July 16 to approve a site plan for a parking‑lot expansion at the Big O Tires property (approximately 1893 North and 400 East) while modifying several staff‑recommended conditions to balance code compliance with the business's long‑term presence.

Planning staff presented the request as a site plan review that triggered several current commercial‑zone standards, including landscaping, parking islands, lighting and sidewalk standards. "The site itself... where Big O Tires is located. They're looking to do a parking lot expansion," Ryan Nunn told commissioners, noting a recent zoning text amendment allowed a drive aisle in the front setback that enabled the parking expansion.

Staff flagged missing materials (a landscape plan, parking lot lighting layout and a trash enclosure location) and noted the property uses storage containers that the city's code normally prohibits. Commissioners and staff discussed whether longstanding use justified exceptions and whether requiring retrofit elements would delay a project intended to help the business operate more efficiently.

Applicant Jason Westbrook described the operational need: the owner told commissioners they had been seeking approval for roughly a year and a half and that the proposed changes will create additional stacking and operational space. "I've been trying to get this approved for a year and a half now... I've been before planning commission a few times... I've spent way too much time at the city offices," the applicant said, describing the project's history and frustration with repeated changes. He estimated the rework would gain "roughly 4 to 7" parking spaces and provide stacking area for vehicles waiting for service.

After extended public discussion, commissioners adjusted staff recommendations before voting. The commission's approved motion (summary): approve the site plan subject to staff and department reports with these changes to staff conditions of approval: require conformance with the engineering report; require one additional decorative site amenity (one decorative light) on Washington Boulevard rather than two; require trash enclosure location and design to be submitted and approved before issuance of a building permit; strike the staff condition that would require removal of existing storage containers (the commission allowed them to remain as grandfathered in this case, with the applicant offered to paint/visually integrate them); require verification of ADA parking stalls prior to final inspection; strike the requirement for landscape islands every 10 parking stalls; and replace the staff's 10‑foot sidewalk requirement with direction to work with the city engineer to design an acceptable 8–10 foot sidewalk along Washington Boulevard that avoids impacts to existing stormwater and UDOT facilities.

The commission also removed the staff requirement to show parking‑lot lighting plans as a mandatory item, leaving lighting to be addressed if new lighting is installed. The motion included that the trash enclosure design and ADA stalls must be verified before a building permit is issued; staff clarified they will work with the applicant to provide standard dumpster enclosure designs if needed.

Vote and next steps: The motion passed unanimously (Commissioners Watson, Gardner, Neighbour, Bailey, Green and the chair voted yes). The applicant must submit a trash‑enclosure location and design for approval prior to building permit issuance, work with the city engineer on the sidewalk design (8–10 ft acceptable), and verify ADA parking stalls and other final permit requirements at the time of permit application. Staff and the commission indicated the city council may consider sidewalk or decorative‑feature issues in its review, and the property has previously received RDA grant funds for streetscape work in the area.