Council approves rezoning of Urkelback property to match Westfields plan

Springville City Council voted to change the official zone map for four parcels near 1500 West and Center Street from R‑1‑15 to R‑1‑8, a move staff said aligns the site with the Westfields general plan designation and the planning commission’s unanimous recommendation.

Planning staff told the council the 28.53‑acre property (commonly called the Urkelback property) was always designated in the Westfields plan as medium‑low density residential. The current R‑1‑15 zoning allows about 2 dwelling units per acre; R‑1‑8 increases the baseline to roughly 3.8 units per acre and permits the site to use the Westfields overlay’s density‑bonus provisions.

Josh, planning staff, said the planning commission approved the change 4–0 and that the request does not represent an ad‑hoc increase in density but rather an implementation of the long‑standing plan. He explained how the overlay’s density bonus works: developers earn additional units by meeting design criteria such as enhanced porches, open space or materials, up to a maximum bonus (staff noted most recent projects achieve roughly 10–20% rather than the 40% theoretical maximum).

Council members questioned minimum lot sizes and how much of the property must conform to base‑zone standards. Staff said certain percentages of the site must meet the 8,000‑square‑foot minimum lot standard and that portions of the parcel could be built as attached housing (twin homes, duplexes, townhomes) provided total unit counts do not exceed the allowed maximum.

After discussion, a councilmember moved to adopt Ordinance O‑06‑2022 to amend the zone map. The council held a roll‑call vote; those called answered in the affirmative and the ordinance passed.

The rezoning authorizes the property owner to submit a subdivision application consistent with R‑1‑8 and applicable overlay standards. It does not itself approve a subdivision plat; any future plat must meet development‑standards and receive administrative and planning‑commission review. The council noted that future councils could revisit the zoning if priorities change.