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Orem council approves rezoning of Wilkerson Farm after hours of public comment
Summary
After more than two hours of public testimony, Orem City Council approved rezoning roughly 14 acres known as Wilkerson Farm from OS-5 (open space five-acre minimum) to R-8 (single-family, 8,000-sq-ft lots). The vote followed divided public sentiment and lengthy council debate over property rights, traffic and proximity to railroad tracks.
Orem City Council on Tuesday approved an ordinance rezoning about 14.01 acres known as Wilkerson Farm from OS-5 (open-space, five-acre minimum lots) to R-8 (single-family residential, approximately 8,000-square-foot lots). The property owner and developer presented an R-8 concept plan calling for roughly 53 lots; council members and hundreds of residents offered extended testimony and questions before the final approval.
Why it matters: The property has been used for years as a working farm and community agritainment site. Neighbors and farm supporters urged the council to preserve the land for farming, education and local food production. Supporters of the rezoning argued the change aligns with previous planning guidance for the area and allows a “for-sale” single-family development rather than higher-density multifamily housing.
Council and staff said the land sits next to an active Union Pacific freight corridor, a commuter rail line and industrial uses, which was one reason the parcel carried OS-5 zoning originally. The developer and property owner told the council the site has been included in the city’s master planning work and that utility and roadway improvements (including a widened 2000 South) are in the city’s plans. A traffic study prepared by Avenue Consultants estimated modest peak-hour vehicle trips from the proposed subdivision and concluded impacts on the intersection of 2000 South and Geneva Road would be small.
Residents offered a range of views during public comment. Dozens urged preservation, saying the farm supplies local food and family activities and provides open space that will be gone if developed. Others urged the council to treat the property owner consistently with other recent rezonings in the annexed area and said single-family homes were an appropriate, modest use of the land.
Several council members cited competing concerns. Some emphasized private-property rights and the city’s general plan language that supported residential use; others said the parcel serves as an important buffer between the rail/industrial corridor and residential neighborhoods and questioned whether R-8 lots were appropriate so close to heavy rail noise and activity.
Outcome: The council voted to approve rezoning the parcel to R-8. The approved concept plan presented to council estimates about 53 single-family lots (lot sizes ranging from about 8,000 to 18,500 square feet); the site must still go through subdivision and site-plan review before building permits are issued.
What’s next: The developer will proceed with subdivision engineering, utility coordination and site-plan review. Council and staff noted Provo City’s adjacent development and planned road improvements on 2000 South remain critical dependencies for the full buildout and traffic mitigation.
