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Spanish Fork council considers using growth boundary and Ag Protection map to guide where the city grows
Summary
Council discussed carving Ag Protection Area parcels out of the city's growth boundary to signal short-term non-development while retaining those lands on a long-term future land-use map; staff will vet the concept with DRC and the planning commission and prepare targeted outreach and public hearings in February.
Spanish Fork elected officials spent the longest portion of their Dec. 9 meeting on the draft land-use element of the general plan, focusing on how the city should show long-term agricultural protections while planning for future development.
Planning staff presented two ways to reflect agricultural intent in the plan: (1) color the future land-use map to emphasize long-term agricultural preservation; or (2) keep the future land-use map's long-term scenarios but formally remove parcels that are enrolled in Ag Protection Areas (APAs) from the city's growth boundary so those parcels are not part of the short-term development signal.
"A growth boundary is intended to send a signal to the world: you're ready to approve developments within the growth boundary," planning staff said. Under the proposed approach, APAs' evidenced by state records would be excluded from the growth boundary so staff could advise developers and property owners more consistently on whether the council expects near-term development in a given area.
Council members voiced support for outreach to affected landowners, for vetting the concept with the Development Review Committee and the Planning Commission, and for advancing the draft to formal public hearings. The council asked staff to prepare a one-page explanation and invite the affected property owners to a public meeting that would explain consequences and process (including that property owners may seek removal from APAs or request a growth-boundary amendment through a legislative general-plan amendment and annexation process).
Next steps: staff will bring the concept to the DRC and Planning Commission for review, send targeted outreach to landowners in the affected area, and plan Planning Commission and council public hearings (target: February 2026) so the public can comment formally on the draft land-use element and any proposed growth-boundary changes.
