Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council grants master development agreement to allow Awaken City Church in M1 zone with size and term limits
Summary
The council approved an MDA allowing Awaken City Church to occupy a 9,000-square-foot tenant space in an M1 manufacturing zone, limiting expansion to 18,000 sq ft and setting a 10-year term (with a possible 5-year extension) to limit the long-term zoning impact. Planning commission recommended approval 5–1.
Herriman — The City Council approved a master development agreement to permit Awaken City Church to operate in an existing tilt-up building in an M1 manufacturing zone, a use not normally allowed in that zone.
Michael (staff) told the council that federal religious-land-use protections were cited by the applicant and that staff explored zoning-text and map amendments before recommending a narrowly tailored MDA. The agreement allows the church to occupy its existing 9,000-square-foot leased space and caps any church footprint at 18,000 square feet in the MDA term; the draft also sets the use as legally nonconforming after the MDA expires. The applicant requested the use to be recognized as "run with the land," but staff recommended time limits and council review as a way to limit long-term implications for the M1 zone.
Planning commissioners forwarded the item with a 5–1 recommendation. Councilmember comment was largely supportive of giving a community church a stable location; the council adopted ordinance 2026-10 approving the development agreement.
Why it matters: The decision balances federal religious-land-use claims and the city's desire to preserve manufacturing-zoned corridors. Limits in the MDA (square-foot cap and a finite term) are designed to prevent broad, permanent zoning change without a separate process.
Next steps: The church will proceed with tenant improvements under the terms of the MDA and any change beyond the authorized size or term would require council action.
