The Orem City Council voted to continue a public hearing and decision on a proposed rezoning and concept plan for approximately 14.18 acres at 710 W. 2000 South — commonly known as the Wilkerson/Whitaker farm — until the council’s meeting on Feb. 11, 2026.

The applicant, a private developer working with Keystone Construction, asked to rezone the parcel from OS‑5 to a Planned Residential Development to permit a mix of single‑family and townhome units. The developer proposed about 97 units in a plan that included a row of townhomes placed along the Union Pacific rail line, single‑family lots to the west and a pocket of common open space and a small playground. The application included elevations, conceptual unit sizes (roughly 1,700–2,100 square feet for single‑family and about 1,800–2,100 square feet for townhomes) and a parking plan showing private garages plus a number of guest spaces.

At the hearing, dozens of neighbors, nearby homeowners’ association leaders and civic organizations urged the council to preserve the property. Several speakers emphasized that Wilkerson Farm is a longstanding community agritourism destination that draws tens of thousands of visitors annually and donates produce to charitable food operations such as Tabitha’s Way. Speakers included Wilkerson Farm managers and representatives of Tabitha’s Way, who explained their past partnership and the organization’s reliance on donated produce at times. Other residents described traffic and pedestrian safety concerns on 2000 South and Sand Hill Road and requested preservation of the mature “park strip” of trees along the west boundary.

After hearing the public and the applicant, the council discussed procedural and policy issues. Several council members said they were uncomfortable issuing a final rezoning decision without more information and suggested a short pause so that the property owner and community organizations can pursue potential conservation‑easement funding or other options to preserve the land. The council also asked staff to clarify technical questions about utility capacity and to obtain the revised layout that the applicant provided to neighborhood leaders (a plan that reduces lot counts along the western edge to better transition to adjacent single‑family lots).

Action taken: The council voted to continue the matter to the Feb. 11, 2026 council meeting and asked staff to coordinate with the applicant about updated exhibits and to provide a clear list of technical items the city will review in the interim.

Why it matters: The parcel is unusual for central Orem in its mix of active agritourism, open space and proximity to neighborhoods. Residents urged the council to preserve the land and to explore conservation‑easement options; the owner and seller described financial and market pressures that drove the decision to consider redevelopment. Council members noted the policy tradeoffs between preserving open space and allowing redevelopment that creates for‑sale housing.