Riverton council approves Priority Builders rezoning for townhomes at 118 South and Redwood Road

RIVERTON, Utah — The Riverton City Council on Tuesday approved Ordinance 25-18 to change the general-plan designation and rezone roughly 4.25 acres at the northwest corner of 118 South and Redwood Road to RM-8 (multifamily residential), with a specific development designation limiting development to townhomes.

The council voted after a public hearing that included multiple residents who live across Redwood Road and along 118 South. Several neighbors warned of traffic problems, possible impacts to the nearby Midas Creek channel and potential changes to FEMA flood-mapping. Planning staff, the applicant and council members said a later site-plan review and a required traffic and stormwater engineering review will address many of those concerns.

Jason (planning staff) told the council the application consolidates parcels with mixed existing zoning and the planning commission recommended the RM-8 rezone with an SD designation limiting the development to townhomes. Applicant Scott Yermish of Priority Builders described the planned product as similar to prior townhome-style projects the company has built in Riverton and said the SD limitation is acceptable provided the legal definition matches prior local projects.

Residents who testified during the hearing said they support development in principle but asked the city to protect neighborhood access and to avoid creating downstream flood-insurance requirements. “We want it to be developed — it has to happen — but please consider those that have to be there and try to move somewhere. It’s really, really bad,” said Shelley Sievert, a property owner on the east side of Redwood Road.

Council members repeatedly told residents the rezone is the zoning decision only; detailed infrastructure, stormwater, access and landscaping will be reviewed later through the site-plan process, which includes additional public notice. Staff and some council members noted county and state agencies already restrict discharge into Midas Creek and that Salt Lake County’s recent changes to allowable discharge rates make modern developments more responsible for retaining stormwater on site.

Council members expressed concern about density and traffic but said the developer had reduced density during the review and indicated a willingness to work with city engineers and neighbors. Council member McDougall said the area contains several small, leftover parcels that are difficult to develop coherently and that an RM-8 rezone with townhome limitations can produce a more cohesive result than piecemeal approvals.

The motion to adopt Ordinance 25-18 — “changing the general plan designation to medium-high density (5–8 units/acre) and rezoning the subject properties to RM-8 multifamily residential with a specific development designation limiting the development to townhomes only” — passed on a roll call vote. Council members recorded on the roll call as voting “yes” in the transcript included Council member McKay, Council member Hamon (spelled ‘Haman’ in parts of the record), Council member McDougall, Council member Perucci and Council member Broker. Mayor Staggs and city staff thanked residents and the applicant for their participation.

Next steps: If the developer proceeds, the project will return to staff for site-plan review that will include traffic studies, stormwater and access plans and additional public notice and comment opportunities. The rezone itself does not authorize construction; it changes allowable land use and creates the SD constraint requiring townhome-style ownership and unit configuration.

Residents who testified asked to be notified when the site-plan application is filed and asked staff to closely monitor floodplain and access implications during engineering review. The council said it will watch those elements in subsequent permitting phases.