Consultant presents draft comprehensive plan emphasizing Main Street character, West Side growth and water-conservation element

Consultant Chris Hupp of Somos presented the planning team's finalized first draft of Centerville's comprehensive general plan update during the Oct. 8 Planning Commission meeting and described the public engagement, priorities and proposed plan elements.

Hupp said the outreach process began in mid-2024 and included multiple in-person events, an open house, and a mailed survey that produced a higher-than-normal response rate. He told commissioners the mailed follow-up yielded roughly an 18% response for a key mailing and that overall survey returns were about 12% — above typical municipal response rates for similar exercises.

Why it matters: The general plan is the city's long-range visioning document that guides land use, transportation and infrastructure choices. Hupp's presentation highlighted the commission's stated priority to "maintain what makes Centerville great" ' including preserving the historic Main Street character and the hillside ' while identifying the West Side (west of I-15) as an area for potential growth and commercial redevelopment to grow the city's tax base.

Key findings and proposals summarized in the meeting: - Public priorities: Maintain existing culture and historic Main Street character; preserve the hillside; improve city parks; and pursue targeted beautification of Main Street. - Town-center framework: Three focus areas were proposed: the historic Main Street core, a CenterPointe/Parrish Lane commercial core, and a mixed-use West Side growth area that could host restaurants, entertainment and moderate-income housing. - Housing: The plan lists state-required housing tools and incentives (including homeownership promotion and first-home investment zones) and identifies the West Side as the preferred location for new moderate-income housing and 55+ options. - Transportation and active-transportation proposals: Hupp highlighted pedestrian and bicycle connections, improved crossings on Main Street (currently about 8 pedestrian crossings across a stretch of more than three miles), potential bridge/connection improvements at Chase Lane to relieve Parrish Lane congestion, and an alternative bus route on 400 West as a complement to Main Street transit discussions. - Open space and trails: The draft proposes new trailheads, a wetlands-park concept west of Sheep Lane to increase flood resiliency and bird habitat, and improved connections to the Bonneville Shoreline and Legacy trail systems. - Economic analysis: Hupp said Centerville currently captures significantly more local retail than it leaks, but identified categories with leakage (accommodations, food and beverage, media/entertainment) that could be addressed by the West Side strategy; the slides presented capture and leakage numbers showing a capture of approximately $232,000,000 and leakage of about $46,000,000 in identified categories. - Required water-conservation element: Hupp and staff emphasized that the water-conservation element of the plan must be adopted and transmitted to the Division of Water Resources before Dec. 31; staff asked commissioners to consider fast-tracking that element if the broader plan needed more time.

Commission reaction and next steps: Commissioners asked clarifying questions throughout the presentation about transportation priorities, the locations of proposed trailheads and how West Side redevelopment would respect Centerville's character. Commissioners expressed broad support for publishing the draft for public review; the commission instructed staff to schedule a public hearing and to move the document forward through the public-hearing process.

Ending: Staff will post the draft plan for public review and notice a public hearing in accordance with the commission's direction; commissioners will review public comments and the water-conservation element in subsequent hearings before forwarding recommendations to the City Council.