Planning commission recommends against Frato Farms rezoning and development agreement

The Draper City Planning Commission on March 12 voted to forward negative recommendations to the City Council on the Frato Farms land-use and zoning requests and the related development agreement, citing inconsistency with surrounding development patterns and concerns about impacts to adjacent properties.

Planning staff contact Nick Whitaker summarized the application as a package: a land-use map amendment from residential medium to residential high density, a zoning map amendment from RA2 (residential agricultural) to RM2 (multifamily residential), and a development agreement that would cap the project at 15 detached single-family lots, limit housing type to detached single-family homes, and require sidewalks, curb, gutter and street trees on 800 East and 12200 South. Whitaker told commissioners the property measures about 2.32 acres and that, without a development agreement, the RM2 zoning could allow up to roughly 24 dwelling units.

Neighbors who addressed the commission during the public hearing objected to the rezoning. Dave Hanson said the neighborhood would prefer "no change in the zoning," and several residents warned that shorter driveways and reduced setbacks could push parked cars into the public right-of-way and harm the neighborhood character. Jim Duncan and others questioned how a 35-foot building height would look from adjacent yards; Jerry Thomas asked whether the 35-foot measurement is to the roof peak or midpoint.

Tyler Kirk, the project architect, said the submitted plans are conceptual and that most homes would likely be under 2,500 square feet; Whitaker reiterated that the development agreement would cap lots at 15 and require detached single-family homes. Commissioners raised multiple issues: the three lots with shorter driveways (lots 10, 11 and 15) would have only 15 feet of driveway depth measured to the street, with 5 of those feet in the public right-of-way; the agreement shows a neighborhood park that the DA itself allows to be converted to a lot; and several commissioners said the proposal left open the possibility of very large homes squeezed onto small lots.

Following debate, the commission voted to forward a negative recommendation on the land-use map amendment, the zoning map amendment and the development agreement. The motions cited staff findings for denial, including that the proposed changes are not harmonious with the character of the surrounding development and could adversely affect adjacent properties. The commission’s votes were recorded as a majority recommendation for denial on all three items; the matters will now go to the Draper City Council for final action.

Next steps: the council is the decision-making body; the record assembled by staff and the commission will accompany the applications when they are scheduled for council hearings.