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Pleasant Grove Fire Marshal Steven Brande stopped by Thursday night's Planning Commission meeting because the number of residents packed into the room and hallways posed a danger. More than 150 concerned people attended the meeting to protest possible zoning changes to the city's downtown area.
Some residents are particularly concerned that if the zoning changes are approved, a 10-story building, called the Village Grove, may be built in their neighborhood.
Brande spoke with Commission Chairman Curtis Miner about the crowd and told him it was unacceptable. There was not an empty seat in the room, which has a capacity of 100. People were also standing in the aisles and filling the hallways.
Miner asked the group if they would rather choose one spokesperson to voice their concerns or reconvene at a different time in a larger room. Unanimously, the group chose to reconvene. The majority of the crowd then dispersed and the commission moved on to the rest of its agenda.
"I'm really pleased," said resident Laurel Backman Riddle, about the number of people who went to protest the proposed changes. The main concern of residents, according to Riddle, is the downtown mixed use overlay, which would allow business as well as residential in neighborhoods that are now residential.
"It's such a broad overlay. It affects 18-19 blocks of historic, established, residential neighborhoods," said resident Eric Jensen. "Our main concern is that we have not had input."
According to the proposal, the purpose of the mixed use overlay is to allow residential units to be located in the Central Business District zone, to promote beautification of downtown and to allow vertical construction above the height permitted in the zone.
According to Backman Riddle, that height allowance is another concern to citizens.
The mixed use sub-district would allow a maximum of five stories, with exceptions approved through a conditional use permit.
"Height does not promote business. Good retail does," Jensen said.
"I want downtown revitalized, but not with tall buildings," said resident Nancy Roberts. The proposed zoning changes are part of the city's Downtown 2020 Action Plan. The plan was developed to help revitalize the historic downtown area of the city.
The Pleasant Grove Business Alliance sent e-mails to members outlining their support for the changes. "The Pleasant Grove Business Alliance board supports the city and its proposed ordinance amendment," reads the letter.
The changes will be considered at the next commission meeting, scheduled for 7 p.m. on Jan. 24. The location of the meeting has not been determined as a larger space is needed. The public is invited to attend.
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