Regional Growth Committee recommends certification for six station-area plans; towns plan tens of thousands of homes
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Summary
The committee voted unanimously Jan. 15 to recommend certification of station-area plans or resolutions of impracticability for Bountiful, Salt Lake City, Ogden, South Salt Lake, Mill Creek and Murray; staff said adopted station-area plans now account for more than 108,000 planned homes across the Wasatch Front.
The Wasatch Front Regional Council’s Regional Growth Committee voted unanimously on Jan. 15 to recommend certification of station-area planning materials for six jurisdictions and related resolutions of impracticability or prior actions.
Byron Head (WFRC) told the committee that, to date, WFRC and its partners have certified 79 station areas and the materials under consideration that day covered 18 station areas. Head noted the statutory station-area planning deadline had passed and that WFRC is now finishing outstanding certifications.
Highlights from city presentations included: - Bountiful/Woods Cross: a small sliver of the station circle lies in I‑15 right-of-way and an existing shopping area, leading the city to submit a resolution of impracticability for that portion. - Ogden: downtown Union Station redevelopment is underway; the Wonder Block project was cited as approximately 350 residential units plus retail and office space and a grocery store. - OGX corridor/Weber area: plans include 727 new homes in northern station areas and an underpass concept to improve crossings. - South Salt Lake and Mill Creek (Meadowbrook): a joint plan anticipates about 1,400 new homes, new pedestrian crossings and a green buffer; Mill Creek emphasized connectivity to Murray North and new community parks. - Murray: updates for Fashion Place West include connectivity ideas such as a proposed Winchester Street cap over I‑215 and a planning estimate the area could support roughly 7,000 new homes.
WFRC staff and UTA have reviewed the materials and recommended positive action. Trustee Beth Holbrook moved to recommend certification of the resolutions of impracticability, prior actions and station-area plans for Bountiful, Salt Lake City, Ogden, South Salt Lake, Mill Creek and Murray; the motion was seconded and approved unanimously.
The committee praised staff and local planners for the extensive public engagement and cross-jurisdictional coordination that produced the plans. WFRC noted that the station-area program is intended to be context-sensitive; some circles overlap campuses or industrial areas where redevelopment is not feasible and resolutions of impracticability are appropriate.