Emigration Canyon planning commission studies proposed development-agreement and conditional-use ordinance updates

The Emigration Canyon Planning Commission met May 14, 2026, and heard staff briefings on two ordinance revisions: a proposed Chapter 19.03 on development agreements and a repeal-and-replace of Chapter 19.84 on conditional uses. The meeting began at 10:04 a.m. and lasted about 38 minutes.

Claire Gillmor of Planning and Development Services summarized the process for ordinance updates and directed commissioners to email written comments. She said staff will compile recommendations in a table to accompany the ordinances when they go to the City Council. Gillmor advised the commission that state law prevents requiring a development agreement for every subdivision and noted the commission should consider local topography and application-specific impacts when drafting rules.

Gillmor also told the commission that, in light of recent legislative activity, the city should consider how to respond if state law changes to expand permitted uses. According to the meeting record, she said the legislature was poised to consider a state-level change that could allow oil and gas pipelines to be a permitted use in some jurisdictions; staff recommended keeping ordinance language plain until specific applications with individual impacts appear on the record.

Commissioners were asked to review an enacted one-page draft of Chapter 19.03 and a four-page draft of Chapter 19.84 and to forward concerns or suggested edits to Claire Gillmor by email. Staff indicated they expect the commission to vote on the two ordinances at the next meeting unless additional changes are required.

On procedural business, Commissioner Jim Karkut moved to approve the Feb. 12, 2026 meeting minutes; Commissioner Dale Berreth seconded. The record states the commissioners present voted unanimously in favor. Earlier, Commissioner Andrew Wallace moved to open the business meeting, with Berreth seconding; Wallace later moved to adjourn and Berreth seconded. The meeting adjourned at 10:42 a.m. The record notes there were zero members of the public in attendance.

Wendy Gurr will make the agreed adjustments to the December, January and March minutes and return them to the commission at its June meeting. The commission did not take formal action on either ordinance during the May 14 session; both items were study sessions for discussion only and remain pending.