Commission recommends City Council consider development agreement to allow Awaken City Church in M1 zone

The Herriman Planning Commission voted to recommend that the City Council approve a master development agreement (MDA) allowing Awaken City Church to occupy space in a building currently zoned M1.

Planning staff explained the church is currently not a permitted land use in the city's M1 zone and described legal guidance under Utah code and federal religious land‑use protections that can limit a city's ability to exclude religious uses. To resolve the applicant’s claim without a code text amendment or rezoning, staff proposed a narrow, parcel‑specific MDA. The staff proposal recommended allowing an initial lease of 9,000 square feet with the option to expand up to 18,000 square feet in that one building, and included a 10‑year termination with a possible five‑year extension. Staff said those limits were intended to be narrow remedies to the legal issue and to preserve the overall character and tax base expectations of the M1 zone.

Pastor Derek Duval, who introduced himself as the applicant and pastor of Awaken City Church, said the congregation intends to use the leased space for regular Sunday services plus smaller weekday activities and community counseling partnerships. Derek said the church does not plan ongoing daycare or a permanent homeless shelter but may partner for counseling or short‑term community events; he said the church’s goal is eventually to purchase a permanent site after growing its congregation. “We would like to purchase a property, but we also recognize we have to have a space in which we can grow,” Derek said.

Commissioners focused much of their exchange on two practical questions: whether to keep the proposed maximum of 18,000 square feet for the building and whether the 10‑year sunset with a five‑year extension was appropriate. Some commissioners favored retaining the square‑foot cap and finite term to preserve M1’s employment‑oriented character; others urged removing or loosening limits and asked the City Council to consider a city‑wide code cleanup to allow churches more broadly in non‑heavy‑industrial zones.

Several commissioners also asked about ancillary activities such as food pantries or emergency sheltering. Staff noted those uses were not included in the publicly noticed scope of this item and would require separate review and advertisement; therefore they are not covered by the commission’s recommendation on this MDA.

The commission made a motion to recommend approval of the MDA with staff’s recommendations and the motion carried on a commission vote. The commission signaled that it intends to forward comments to the City Council about reviewing M1 land‑use allowances more broadly.

The matter will move next to the Herriman City Council for final action; the calendar noted the next council meeting on May 13.