Planning commission recommends revisions to Riverton’s table of commercial uses; adds building‑trades language and expands conditional authority

The Riverton Planning Commission unanimously recommended multiple amendments to the city’s table of commercial uses, including clarifications for assisted-living/residential-care listings, a new building-trades category with broader examples, and revised permissions for landscaping services and passenger-terminal language.

Planning staff presented a package of edits to Chapter 18.9 (the table of commercial uses) intended to correct earlier oversights and clear recurring sources of confusion. Staff said the primary correction is to ensure assisted-living and residential care facilities are properly identified and permitted so existing care centers are conforming rather than nonconforming. Other edits included adding a dedicated “building trades” line to clarify where contractor offices and similar uses belong, adding a “passenger terminal” clarification (that it does not automatically cover simple bus stops), and adding “dance studios” as a distinct use where appropriate.

Commissioners and staff discussed how the building‑trades line should be written to avoid ambiguity about examples such as electricians, plumbers and HVAC contractors; staff recommended adding the parenthetical phrase “including (without limitation)” after the word “including.” Commissioners also debated whether professional-office zones (CPO) should allow building-trades offices if they contain no outdoor storage; the commission directed that building trades be made conditional in the CPO zone. Commissioners further asked that landscaping services be allowed only as conditional uses in downtown (commercial downtown), commercial gateway and CPO zones to address concerns about bulk materials storage.

The motion that passed instructs staff to forward the table-of-uses amendment package to the city council with the commission’s recommended edits: 1) clarify assisted-living/residential-care placement and permit it appropriately; 2) add a building-trades line and insert “including (without limitation)” after “including,” and treat building trades as conditional in the CPO zone; 3) clarify that passenger terminals do not automatically create public bus stops and that bus-stop placement will be coordinated between UTA and the council; and 4) change landscaping services to a conditional use in the commercial downtown, commercial gateway and CPO zones. Commissioner Clough moved the recommendation; Commissioner Knudson seconded and the commission voted unanimously in favor.

Staff told the commission no public comments were received on the noticed amendments. The recommendations will be forwarded to the Riverton City Council for final action.