Planning commission approves general plan amendment and rezoning recommendation for Navy Meadows with affordable housing condition

The Weber County Planning Commission voted to recommend a general plan amendment (GPA2024-01) and forward a positive rezone recommendation (ZMA2023-08) for the Navy Meadows development, subject to a development agreement and multiple conditions including a commitment that a percentage of townhome units be reserved as affordable through the Weber County housing authority.

What staff described: Planning staff (Felix Iovarino) told commissioners the property straddles future land-use categories and that a general-plan amendment was needed for a small southeast pocket proposed for townhomes (R3) while the larger area would be R115 (R1-15 equivalent). Staff said the concept plan includes a roughly 4.82-acre park, pathways along the Hooper Slough, pedestrian bridges, and internal connectivity. Staff also highlighted water-wise landscaping standards and sought to limit single-family driveway access from future 80-foot right-of-way collector streets (3300 South and the center collector). Staff presented the county’s recommended development-agreement conditions and asked that single-family dwelling lots not have direct driveway access on planned 80-foot collectors.

Affordable-housing commitment: Commissioners and staff told the developer to coordinate with the Weber County housing authority. During a public discussion developer Doug Hamlin said the developer would work with the housing authority and was willing to reserve a portion of townhomes for affordable housing. The planning commission adopted a condition during the general-plan vote calling for about 8% of the proposed townhome units to be deed-restricted or otherwise designated as affordable under the Weber County Housing Authority’s guidelines (motion language: "8% portion of the townhomes ... as designated by the Weber Housing Authority"). In a later motion tied to the rezoning, the commission added an explicit condition that up to 8% of townhomes be negotiated as affordable units and that the rezone would depend on the County Commission approving the general-plan amendment.

Public concerns: Multiple residents spoke at both hearings. Speakers living on or near 3300 South and adjacent West Haven subdivisions raised traffic and road-capacity concerns, questioned the timing of widening 3300 South and associated collector upgrades, flagged wetlands and wet-ground issues requiring fill and mitigation, and doubted townhomes would be affordable unless price caps or deed restrictions were enforced. Kelly Rose said, "We got enough townhomes, patio homes. We don't need an R3 in this area," and other residents warned that narrow country roads, school traffic around Kanesville School and Midland Drive, and known long timelines for UDOT/WACOG projects create congestion risks.

Commission discussion and conditions: Commissioners asked for clearer limits on density and community amenities. The commission’s rezoning motion included 14 enumerated conditions (development agreement to be executed before County Commission consideration) such as: correct right-of-way widths; street and pathway connectivity consistent with code; coordination and donation to the parks district to create the 4.82-acre park and a mid-lock pathway northward; tree-lined streets with species selection; no single-family access from planned 80-foot collectors; smart-growth principles in the development agreement; an adjusted road stub to avoid impacts to the Hooper Slough; caps on the number of residences (no more than 43 in the R115 portion and no more than 98 townhome residences in the R3 portion); a safety fence along the Hooper irrigation canal; and the developer’s agreement that the rezoning reverts if the County Commission does not approve the general-plan amendment.

Votes: The commission approved the general plan amendment with the affordable-housing coordination condition (roll-call: commissioners recorded ayes; motion carried). The commission later voted to forward a positive rezone recommendation with the conditions described above (roll-call recorded ayes and the motion passed). Both recommendations now proceed to the County Commission for final legislative action.

Ending: Staff and the developer will work to memorialize the housing authority coordination, the park donation details, the traffic/collector access limitations and the smart-growth language in a development agreement to be attached to the County Commission packet. Subdivision-level engineering (wetlands mitigation if required, sewer sizing and lift stations, and road construction) remains subject to later review and permitting.