Milford leaders say general plan near completion as council presses for housing solutions

Milford city leaders on Monday described steady progress on a multi‑year general plan update and renewed efforts to bring new housing to a land‑constrained community.

City staff reported the general plan is roughly 98% complete and that staff will move into a design‑code update in 2026 to align zoning with that plan. The report noted two housing projects currently in work and said staff are collaborating with a state program to explore additional opportunities; the packet also recorded a $30,000 private donation to support the planning process.

The council emphasized balancing growth with local character. "We are doing what we can right now," a council member said, rejecting claims that the city is inactive on housing. Council discussion named infrastructure requirements — streets, water, sewer and sidewalks — as a necessary condition for development and said the city has granted extensions when appropriate to help projects proceed. Staff also noted a recent zoning code amendment intended to encourage infill on single vacant parcels by exempting certain street improvement requirements in older subdivisions.

One council member who spoke by first name, Matt, said the city has "promising conversations" with developers and argued Milford could be a model for affordable housing approaches in the state. He suggested modular homes as a way to lower costs, citing a target price of roughly $300,000 per unit if built at scale.

The council also pointed to public engagement that shaped the plan: a steering committee and a community survey that drew about 145 resident responses, with many emphasizing beautification and preserving community character.

Council members instructed staff to continue working with developers and state partners, and said the council will play a larger role in implementing strategies from the general plan and the Utah Blueprint Program selection noted elsewhere on the agenda.

The council did not adopt any housing ordinance or contract at the meeting; staff and members said further discussion and code updates are expected as the plan moves into the design‑code phase in 2026.