Draper leaders discuss housing affordability, station-area plan and The Point development
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Summary
Mayor Troy Walker and Council Members Tasha Lowry and Catherine Dolan discussed local housing affordability, revised station-area plans (Kimbell's Lane capped at 28 units/acre), a potential state sale of 55 acres at The Point for ownership housing, and the council's use of workforce-housing buy-downs.
On the Draper City Talk podcast Mayor Troy Walker and council members addressed the city’s housing and land-use challenges, describing recent planning choices and potential state actions affecting a major parcel known as The Point.
Council Member Tasha Lowry noted Draper has preserved thousands of acres of open space, and Mayor Walker characterized housing affordability as a local crisis: "Certainly, I don't know that there's an affordable house in Draper." The hosts and guests highlighted concrete cost examples: Walker said quarter-acre lots near city hall were selling for about $900,000 for the land alone and that earlier station-area proposals had envisioned up to 50 units per acre near transit nodes.
The council described a revised station-area model implemented at Kimbell's Lane that caps density at 28 units per acre and emphasizes owner-occupied options such as townhomes, condominiums and small-lot single-family units rather than high-density rental developments. Walker and Dolan said that approach resulted from extended local vetting of plans and a desire to balance neighborhood concerns with transit-oriented development.
On larger-scale plans, Walker said the state owns roughly 600 acres at The Point and is contemplating the sale of about 55 acres for ownership housing. Council members said the parcel presents an opportunity to pair job creation with housing but stressed the need for careful planning on transportation and public works before major development moves forward. The podcast also referenced council actions to support workforce housing, using funds to "buy down mortgage rates and buy down down payments" for workers including teachers and public safety employees; specific dollar amounts were not specified on the program.
Speakers framed these items as planning choices rather than final approvals. No formal motions or votes were discussed on the episode; council members said future debates will weigh infrastructure capacity, transportation projects (including improvements on 138th and Bangor) and the balance between preserving open space and meeting housing needs.
The episode concluded with the mayor encouraging residents to follow Draper City notifications for updates as planning processes evolve.