Commission recommends Land‑Use and Zoning change at 3526 E. Fort Union, forwards to City Council

The Cottonwood Heights Planning Commission on May 7 voted to recommend approval to the City Council of a general‑plan land‑use map amendment and a zone map amendment for 3526 East Fort Union Boulevard (project ZMA‑25‑002). Applicant Adam Nash (Land Development LLC) asked to change the property’s future land use from residential office to residential medium density and to rezone the site from R1‑8 (single‑family) to R2‑8 (two‑family/twin homes).

Staff told commissioners the parcel is just under one acre. Residential medium density envisions roughly six to ten units per acre; on this site staff said a three‑lot subdivision could yield up to six dwelling units (two units per lot under R2‑8). Development standards such as minimum lot size (8,000 square feet) and a 35‑foot maximum building height would remain comparable between R1‑8 and R2‑8, and staff concluded that the proposed designations are compatible with the general plan and are not materially more intensive than existing designations in the corridor.

Applicant Adam Nash said the project would likely be developed with rear‑loaded townhomes or sold to a builder; he cited traffic estimates and a professional report saying the subdivision would add about 5.44 average daily trips to Fort Union. Nash and staff said the parcel already has a final subdivision plat awaiting recordation and some completed public improvements (curb, gutter, sidewalk) from earlier approvals; the applicant previously submitted similar requests in 2022 that received a positive staff and Planning Commission recommendation but were denied by the City Council at that time.

Several neighbors urged the commission to preserve single‑family character. Speakers from the Apple Valley neighborhood said they had earlier petitioned and met with the City Council in 2022, and they asked the commission to respect the council’s prior denial and the neighborhood expectation of three single‑family homes. Neighbors also asked about parking and driveway impacts on Fort Union. Staff and commissioners discussed that accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are permitted under current R1‑8 zoning and could result in the same theoretical maximum number of households on three lots; staff noted ADUs are owner‑occupied and subject to separate rules.

After deliberation, the commission made two separate motions — one to recommend the land‑use map amendment and one to recommend the zone map amendment — forwarding both items to the City Council. The motions passed with recorded “yes” votes from Commissioners Simon, Mills, Paulson, Smith, Barnes, Shelton and Anderson for the land‑use motion and similar recorded affirmative votes for the zoning motion. The commission’s action is advisory; the City Council retains final legislative authority.