Council delays annexation of 20.5 acres on North Washington Boulevard pending development agreement

The North Ogden City Council voted on Oct. 22 to postpone consideration of Ordinance 2024-20, which would annex approximately 20.5 acres at about 1661 North Washington Boulevard into the city under R4 zoning. Council member Watson moved to delay the annexation so the council could consider the annexation and a development agreement at the same meeting; Council member Severing seconded the motion and it carried on a roll call vote.

The motion followed a presentation from a developer representative, identified in the meeting as Travis, who described conceptual plans for a mix of stacked-flat buildings and townhomes and said his firms (West States Construction and affiliated companies) are coordinating with the school district and neighboring developers. The developer said Mud Creek cuts through the west half of the property and will require state coordination for any realignment.

Staff and the planning commission recommended approval of annexation under R4 with conditions that a development agreement be negotiated to secure public open space and collaboration with adjacent developers. City staff said that approving an annexation without a contemporaneous development agreement could allow future site plans that meet R4 standards but do not include the collaborative open-space or stormwater arrangements the council and planning commission want.

Council members debated two main concerns: clustering higher-density housing in a small area of the city, and the likely share of rental units versus ownership opportunities. Council member Sebring warned the council about the number of apartments already approved in other projects; Watson and others emphasized a desire for consolidated, ball-field-size public space rather than multiple small green pockets. Mayor Pro Tem Barker and staff underscored legal and procedural reasons to consider the annexation and the development agreement together.

On the motion to postpone the annexation, the roll call was recorded with Council member Severing voting yes, Council member Pulver yes, Council member Dalpez (Dalpez/Dalpez spelling in record) voting no, Council member Watson yes, and the presiding mayoral representative voting yes; the motion carried and the ordinance was postponed for later consideration with the development agreement work to follow.

Next steps: staff recommended convening a work session (proposed for December) focused on a development agreement and an engineering review of Mud Creek realignment, with the developer asked to return with design details and proposed ownership/tenure mixes for the housing types. The council did not approve zoning or site plans tonight; the delay preserves the council’s ability to negotiate conditions in a development agreement before final annexation approval.