Council urges safety plan and staff follow‑up after prolonged Tri City Exchange site‑plan compliance questions

North Ogden City Council members on April 8 spent more than an hour discussing Tri City Exchange — a long‑running food distribution operation — after public comments flagged traffic and pedestrian safety near Washington Boulevard and 2100 North.

Planning director Scott Hess presented a staff timeline dating to 2021 and outlined recurring site‑plan and code issues: lack of hard‑surfaced parking, no formal on‑site stormwater retention, use of refrigerated tractor‑trailers as refrigeration rather than permanent refrigerated buildings, and absence of complete 501(c)(3) documentation on file. Hess said the planning department issued a response letter to an initial 2021 site‑plan application but the operator did not submit a completed application with required revisions.

Several residents told the council they had observed hazardous conditions during Tri City Exchange Friday distribution times, including pedestrians walking in travel lanes and vehicles blocking traffic. Amber Hodges, a North Ogden resident, said pedestrian movement and parked cars on Washington Boulevard have “just about caused several accidents” and asked for law‑enforcement traffic direction during busy Fridays. Another resident, Sandy Cochran, said…