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Council reviews revised form‑based code limited to town center and Highland/2300 East; staff adds height caps and setbacks
Summary
Consultants and staff presented a tightened draft form‑based code focused on the Town Center, Fort Union Boulevard, and Highland/2300 East; key edits add maximum building heights, a 5‑foot minimum setback and clarified utility setback language. Council asked for more time and suggested further Planning Commission review.
City staff and consultants presented edits to a draft form‑based code that narrows the initial geographic scope and adjusts design controls aimed at shaping future redevelopment.
Mike Johnson and consultants explained they removed the Union Park Center from the initial ordinance maps so the first phase focuses on the Town Center, Fort Union Boulevard and the Highland/2300 East area. The draft retains building‑type standards but adds firm maximum heights (examples cited included a 45‑foot hard cap and a 35‑foot cap in residential‑transition areas) and clarifies minimum street setbacks.
On the build‑to line, staff said they replaced a 0‑foot requirement with a buffer and have "added a 5 foot minimum setback" so landscaping and pedestrian buffering can be provided. Staff also updated language to accommodate required utility‑line setbacks if power‑company requirements extend beyond form‑based code minima.
The presentation included conceptual renderings of a long‑term town‑center redevelopment under full redevelopment assumptions; staff emphasized the images are illustrative, optional and describe what might be feasible if property owners chose to redevelop under the code.
Council members raised concerns about allowing one‑story residential forms in some transition areas, the implications for aging residents who prefer single‑story units, and the desirability of returning the draft to Planning Commission for an additional review. One council member advocated a joint meeting with Planning Commission before adoption; another emphasized the code is a tool to streamline small‑scale redevelopment that otherwise triggers lengthy review processes.
Next steps: staff will circulate the marked‑up ordinance and renderings, consider Planning Commission review and schedule an additional council work session to finalize changes before formal public hearings and ordinance adoption.
