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Orem Planning Commission opens general-plan review, staff to lead update
Summary
Commissioners reviewed the city—s general plan framework and state requirements, heard a staff overview of required elements and the advisory role of the plan, and were told planning staff (Planning Division Manager Jared Hall) will lead an update process the council would like to start this year.
The Orem Planning Commission met Dec. 11, 2024, and spent the bulk of its work session reviewing the role, scope and next steps for the city—s general plan.
Staff presenter Speaker 3 framed the general plan as a decision-making tool rather than a binding mandate, saying, "the general plan is a tool to help guide decision making" and urging commissioners to use it to identify problems, set goals and weigh alternatives. He referenced state statute materials he had distributed and said the statute (referred to in the meeting as chapter 4 of 109 a or LUDMA) sets out required plan elements.
Why it matters: The general plan guides long-range land-use decisions, influences rezoning discussions and can be necessary to qualify for state or federal funding. Commissioners discussed common public misunderstandings—particularly that a land-use map resembles a zoning map—and agreed on the need for clearer public messaging that the plan is advisory.
Staff and next steps: Planning staff said the general plan must include elements such as land use, transportation, a moderate-income housing element, and a newly required water use and preservation element. Speaker 5 told the commission the municipal council ultimately approves the plan and named Jared Hall as responsible staff: "his name is Jared Hall. He is the planning division manager." Speaker 5 also said the council would like to start a major update to the general plan this year and that staff will carry much of the drafting work and public outreach.
Public access and technical details: Staff demonstrated how to find the current adopted plan online (the 2018 document and subsequent amendments) at the city—s long-range planning webpages (URLs shown in the meeting). Presenters warned that the city—s site was transitioning domains and some links might temporarily fail.
Commissioner concerns and budget realities: Commissioners pressed staff on how the planning process connects to funding and implementation. Several participants observed that many plan projects are long-range visions with no immediate funding; staff and commissioners said those items remain in the plan both as vision and to preserve eligibility for future grant programs.
The commission agreed to continue the general-plan discussion in coming meetings and to lean on staff for public communications and staff reports that more explicitly reference plan guidance.
