Council approves 93-unit Willow Street townhomes PUD; adds open-space and fencing conditions
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Summary
After extended public hearings and staff review, Grantsville City Council approved a planned unit development and master development agreement for a 93-unit townhome project on Willow Street, adding conditions requiring phased completion of open-space amenities and perimeter fencing to address neighbor buffer concerns.
The Grantsville City Council on May 7 approved a planned unit development (PUD) application and a master development agreement (MDA) for a 93-unit townhome project on the city's Willow Street corridor after extensive review by staff, the planning commission and the council.
Todd (developer) explained the application covers 13 acres and proposes 93 townhomes with clubhouses, internal parking, a central detention/amenity basin and walking trails. Planning staff and the applicant said the design responds to the city's changed multifamily standards and includes off-site infrastructure work: replacement/repair of sewer lines, an easement and upsizing of a Willow Street water main (from 6 to 8 inches) and the extension of sidewalks to Durfee Street.
Council discussion centered on neighborhood buffering, parking, the public-right-of-way configuration and the proximity of half-acre single-family lots immediately south of the project. Several council members said they were concerned about the transition from larger-lot homes to higher-density townhomes. One council member voted against the PUD approval, citing buffer concerns; the motion nevertheless carried.
To address the neighborhood issues and to tie the development approvals together, councilors added conditions when approving the PUD and MDA. Conditions the council required include: repairing and constructing off-site sewer as submitted; obtaining the Warner property easement for the waterline before final approval; extending a continuous sidewalk along Willow Street to Durfee; and adding perimeter fencing. The council specified a seven-foot masonry (or equivalent) privacy fence on the north and south boundaries adjacent to existing homes and a six-foot fence along the Willow Street frontage to screen backyards facing the collector.
Councilors also attached a timing requirement for amenities in the master development agreement: the MDA was amended so that at least 50 percent of the open-space amenities must be installed with phase 1 and the remainder completed by the end of phase 2; the council said no additional building permits for later phases should be issued if required amenities are not completed for the prior phase.
Planning staff noted the proposal required several deviations from older code language because the application was filed during a code transition in 2022; city staff said they had worked with the applicant to minimize deviations while adding parking and maintaining 66-foot internal rights of way rather than seeking narrower streets.
Ending: The council approved the PUD and the MDA with the additional conditions; members asked staff to return with the finalized development agreement language and the required easements before recording and permitting.