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Council adopts station-area plans; business owners urge protections for Metro Business Park
Summary
West Valley City approved station-area plans required by state law for three TRAX stations; nearby property owners warned the designations could affect access and jobs in Metro Business Park and asked the city to limit residential mapping. Staff said the plan does not rezone property; the ordinance passed unanimously.
West Valley City’s council unanimously approved ordinance 25-23 on Aug. 26 to adopt station-area plans that cover the half-mile areas around River Trail, Redwood Junction and Decker Lake TRAX stations, fulfilling a state requirement under House Bill 462.
During the public hearing, Josh Sevey, speaking for Bike LLC, said consultant maps that flagged “redevelopable” parcels — including parts of 2400 South — could eliminate access to existing businesses. “This would cause our property at 1171 West to lose every bit of its access,” Sevey said, asking the council to consider long-term business and job impacts.
Therese Walton, also representing Bike LLC, told the council she and other property owners received late notice of the planning process and warned that converting commercial, industrial and logistics areas around Metro Business Park to residential could create safety and health conflicts. “Industrial sites can involve hazardous materials,” Walton said, and multifamily housing near heavy truck traffic could pose risks for pedestrians and children.
A city staff member responding to those concerns said the draft plan shows only one nearby parcel — the KSOP property — with new residential indicated adjacent to Metro Business Park and emphasized that the consultant’s ‘redevelopable’ highlights are analytical suggestions, not zoning changes. The staff member added that any actual rezoning would require a separate petition and formal approval.
Council members voted to adopt the station-area plans. The ordinance implements the required plan document but does not itself change zoning; staff and the council noted rezonings would be considered only through separate procedures.
What’s next: The plan becomes the city’s station-area guidance; any property owner seeking a different zoning would still have to submit a rezoning application and go through the public-review process.
