City staff hires studio for station-area plan renderings; council weighs parcels, heights and housing mix

Jennifer, a city planning staffer, told the Draper City Council the city has contracted Bowen/Boeing studios to create bird’s-eye and close-up renderings for the station-area plan and expects preliminary images and a full packet in January. "We're hoping to have these renderings done in January to bring to you," she said, and added the city will follow that with stakeholder meetings and a public open house before planning commission and council review.

Council members and staff discussed which parcels to include in the station-area boundary. Jennifer recommended including the Kmart property and the office across 123rd, the block across from the cookie factory, and other adjacent parcels. She described possible development types: retail or office along 123rd, three-story buildings on certain blocks, and lower-density "missing-middle" townhomes to act as buffers near existing single-family neighborhoods. Members also raised the role of the Hidden Valley shopping center redevelopment area, noting roughly $4,000,000 remains in RDA funds that could be used to spur redevelopment if the shopping center were included in the station-area boundary.

The staff presentation focused on setting zoning and design standards that could limit heights and guide uses, while council members emphasized ownership preference for some multifamily and preserving a transition to the Bainbridge subdivision. Staff said it will return with color schemes and refined renderings after consultant work and stakeholder input.