Residents oppose denser townhomes, variances in President’s Park PUD

The Grantsville Planning Commission heard public comment Feb. 6 on proposed amendments to the President’s Park Planned Unit Development at approximately 600 East Nygren Street, where several residents urged the commission to reject changes that would increase housing density and reduce development standards.

Gary Pickle, a resident, told the commission the project “has to date received a number of waivers in favor of the developer” and that the current proposal would “double, more than double the density” beyond what the development agreements allow. Pickle said the developer is not offering offsets to cover that increase in density.

Janet (last name not specified) said she and other homeowners were told the development would be a 55-and-older community; she said the plan has shifted to general market townhomes and that she is “not happy about that,” adding safety concerns for children near the school along the same route.

Kevin Hall, who said he previously participated in local planning processes, urged the commission to “remember that they have a PUD” and to hold the developer to the originally approved plan rather than repeatedly amending it. Several other residents raised similar concerns about traffic, school capacity and infrastructure.

Crystal Tonks, who said she lives in President’s Park, described discovering a new housing area behind the development and said, “I am just concerned with the roads as well as the water and our schools. I just feel like the 40 extra units is a lot. I mean, that's 40 plus extra families.”

Several speakers raised specific land‑use and code concerns: they objected to proposed reductions or eliminations of setbacks, to use of driveway space to meet parking requirements, and to proposed smaller unit sizes. Residents said repeated amendments and variances undercut confidence that developers will follow commitments made earlier in the planning process.

Planning staff closed the public‑hearing portion for this item after hearing comments. The transcript did not record a commission motion or vote on the President’s Park amendments during this meeting.

Commissioners and staff did not make determinations on the record; public comments were advisory to the commission and city council, consistent with the commission’s advisory role.

Ending — Next steps and context: Because the Planning Commission is an advisory body, any final action on PUD amendments would be forwarded to the City Council for decision. Members of the public who spoke asked commissioners to enforce existing development agreements and to require developers to provide completed engineering and infrastructure plans before approving density increases.