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Far West council rezones West Creek site to ICZ, approves development agreement with limits on standalone warehousing
Summary
The Far West City Council approved rezoning for the West Creek Master Development to the Innovation Commercial Zone and later approved a related development agreement that prevents wholesale/warehousing from being the sole use of any single structure; both votes were 4–1.
The Far West City Council voted 4–1 to rezone the West Creek Master Development to the Innovation Commercial Zone (ICZ) and later approved the West Creek Master Development Agreement with a modification limiting standalone wholesale and warehousing uses.
The rezoning vote came after discussion about the General Plan, traffic and potential building heights. Councilmembers debated compatibility with the city’s General Plan, concerns about traffic shifting onto Cottonwood Drive and the possibility of large warehouse buildings adjacent to residential properties. Opponents cited language in the General Plan that calls for restrictions on legal access and for protecting moderate-income housing strategies; supporters argued that the development agreement could mitigate traffic impacts and that development controls in the agreement and future site plans would limit negative effects.
The development agreement had been the subject of extended discussion at the meeting. Developers and staff clarified that the ICZ list of permitted uses is broad and that removing wholesale and warehousing outright could unintentionally exclude businesses that have warehousing as a component of broader operations. Council and staff negotiated language to preserve permitted uses in the ICZ while preventing any single structure from being used solely for wholesale or warehousing. The final development-agreement language adopted states that land uses must comply with the ICZ in chapter 17.31 of the Far West Code of Ordinances, except that wholesale and warehousing shall not be permitted as the sole or exclusive use of any individual structure; the agreement also requires a mix of at least three different uses across the development.
Council members also sought and received commitments that future site-level development proposals would return to the council for review and that traffic-calming measures on Cottonwood Drive are addressed in the agreement.
Votes at a glance: Rezoning to ICZ — passed 4–1. West Creek Master Development Agreement (with the warehouse/wholesale language inserted to prevent sole/exclusive use in any structure) — passed 4–1.
The council’s actions set the zoning and development framework for the property south of Forest City and east from Cottonwood Drive. The developer and staff confirmed that individual building permits and future site plans would be subject to further review and that the development agreement’s protections are intended to reduce the risk of large, nonretail warehouse districts immediately adjacent to residences.
