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Developer previews student housing near Joaquin; neighbors cite plan, parking and traffic concerns
Summary
A developer presented a preliminary plan for high‑density student housing in the Joaquin neighborhood. Neighbors urged adherence to the neighborhood plan, asked for traffic and parking studies, and emphasized concerns about replacing single‑family homes.
Developer representative Jaren Stevenson presented a preliminary concept for a student‑housing development on properties in Provo’s Joaquin neighborhood and asked residents for feedback before filing any formal applications. Stevenson said the site is currently rental housing and that the project team would seek a redevelopment (pro‑zone) option to permit higher density closer to campus. He emphasized the design is early‑stage and that the team is looking for constructive neighborhood input.
"These are rental properties, haven't for years. We're not getting rid of single family homes," Stevenson said while describing a proposal that would concentrate parking on the first floor and aim for roughly one parking space per bed plus about a quarter‑space per bed for guests.
Residents pressed the presenter on conformity with the Joaquin neighborhood plan, compatibility with single‑family zoning and traffic impacts. One resident urged the developer to "take that plan very seriously" and another said conversion at that location would be "catastrophic" for their household. Questions also focused on whether the project would serve single or married students and whether it would require a formal zone change.
Stevenson said traffic and parking are among the issues the developers planned to study and that the project team would seek to work with the city and neighborhood. He acknowledged limitations on traffic studies — "only 5 traffic studies are approved per year" per district — and asked residents to provide insights that could inform forthcoming studies.
No formal application or vote occurred at the meeting. The presentation was explicitly labeled by staff as a pre‑application briefing intended to solicit community concerns and ideas before plans are filed with the city.
What’s next: The developer said he would stay after the meeting to take additional questions; any formal zone change or application would follow the city’s public‑hearing and review process.
