Council tables Long Range Shooters site plan after parking and code concerns

Council reviewed an amended site plan for Long Range Shooters of Utah (a proposed retail gun shop, office space, a content studio and a one‑bedroom residence above) and focused on parking configuration and code interpretation. Staff and the applicant showed a revised plan that converts parking to 60‑degree stalls and adjusted the building footprint and elevations to better meet gateway historic design guidelines. The applicant stated they had revised elevations and parking layouts following earlier feedback.

A central point of debate was "Parking Stall 1," a single 90‑degree stall adjacent to the garage that some council members and staff said may not meet the single‑loaded 90‑degree standard in the city code (which references two‑way aisles). The city attorney explained that ambiguities in the ordinance can favor the land‑use applicant under Utah law, but that the council could require an exception process or send the item back to the planning commission for a formal recommendation. The applicant argued for reasonableness: "I'm certainly not gonna sell my property just because somebody asked me to, and I'm certainly not going to reduce it by 50% just because someone wants to when I'm already well inside of the code," he said. After substitute motions and discussion about precedent and process, the council voted to table the item and require the applicant to pursue an exception (including a swept‑path analysis) and return with any planning‑commission supplemental findings.

The council framed the decision as process‑focused: staff and some members urged consistency in applying the parking diagrams in the code and suggested the exception path so planning commission can review technical details. The applicant will seek the exception and submit additional engineering analysis before the council reconsiders the site plan.