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Commission approves amended site plan for event center at former pet store; notice questions raised
Summary
The Planning Commission approved an amended commercial architectural/site plan to allow an event center at 11968 South Redwood Road (former Pet Planet). Commissioners debated whether a conditional-use hearing should have been noticed; staff said the planning director approved the conditional use and the site-plan change was minor.
Riverton Planning Commission voted unanimously April 10 to approve an amended commercial architectural/site plan to permit an event center in a remodeled building at 11968 South Redwood Road, the parcel formerly occupied by Pet Planet.
Staff described the application as the final step in a retrofit and said the most-visible change was a front trellis/awning; staff added five conditions, chiefly to ensure building, fire and city codes and to bring the lighting into compliance with the city’s holiday-lighting ordinance. Staff had no substantive objections and said building and fire review were complete.
Commissioner Rushton pressed staff on why the amended site plan had not been mailed to nearby property owners. Staff explained that earlier steps — a rezoning to Commercial Gateway and prior table-of-uses work — had been publicly noticed (including a rezone that was mailed to 1,000 feet), and that staff determined the current exterior change did not rise to the threshold requiring mailed noticing for an amended site plan. Commissioner Rushton noted the change in use from a daytime business (dance studio/pet store) to an event venue with nighttime activity, saying neighbors might reasonably expect a mailed notice.
Planning Director Jason (last name not provided in the transcript) and other staff clarified that the municipal code allows the planning director to approve certain conditional uses for existing commercial sites if the new use is essentially the same as the prior one and the exterior changes are minor. Staff said the event-center conditional use had been approved administratively by the planning director; commissioners were offered the option to table the site plan and re-notice the conditional use together, but the commission opted to approve the amended site plan while leaving the conditional-use approval at the director level. Commissioner Matheson moved to approve application PLZ24-8008 with conditions 1–5; Commissioner Clough seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.
Staff noted that if neighbors or code enforcement later identify impacts such as lighting or noise beyond what staff expected, the matter can be brought back for conditional-use review.
