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Orem City Council turns back zoning clock on State Street Master Plan

By Genelle Pugmire - | Feb 23, 2022

Daily Herald file photo

Cars wait at a traffic signal at the intersection of 800 South and State Street in Orem on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2014.

The long awaited, but not unexpected, vote rolling back Orem’s State Street Master Plan finally happened Tuesday at the regular City Council meeting.

The vote was 5-0 in favor of changing the plan and its various districts back to pre-districting zoning options. Perhaps the only thing that is intact of the State Street Master Plan is the beautification of State Street and even that had a few tweaks.

The council is made up of seven voting members, but Tom Macdonald and Debby Lauret were out of town on business. Those who voted to change zoning back included Mayor Dave Young and Council members Terry Peterson, David Spencer, LaNae Millett and Jeff Lambson. Lambson was also out of town, but called in to be a part of the vote.

In voting to change zoning, Peterson said he felt the mayor and council had listened to the voice of the people.

“I am pleased with Mayor Young and with my colleagues who voted tonight to move forward with correcting issues related to traffic and out-of-control high-density growth. This change to the State Street Master Plan has been our primary objective since I was elected two years ago,” Peterson said. “This change will provide a greater opportunity for commercial and retail development — and we welcome those who wish to move their business to Orem. We work for the people of our great city. We have listened to the voice of the people of Orem. Our vote tonight is the fulfillment of our promise. We will continue to listen and to make needed changes. Orem is a great place to live, work and raise a family. Let’s keep it that way.”

Courtesy city of Orem

Orem State Street Master Plan.

Young noted how pleased he and the council were to correct the State Street Master Plan.

“Although we know that growth is inevitable, that growth must be done responsibly, and with adequate infrastructure in place. The citizens of Orem provided to me, as mayor, a mandate to address traffic and parking problems in our neighborhoods — both resulting from unbridled growth and high-density housing,” Young said.

“Tonight, after a lot of hard work, Orem’s elected officials delivered on our promise to start solving the issues of Orem. Our focus is to keep Orem ‘Family City USA,’ and tonight Orem made a giant leap toward that objective. With this change, we can now focus on helping our business community and attracting new businesses to Orem. This was a great step towards moving forward in the right direction,” Young added.

Spencer noted that the top concern of residents has now been addressed with the vote.

“I was reelected with a mandate for change, and high-density housing was at the top of that list. I promised to keep the integrity of our neighborhoods and stave off commercial creep. We have listened, and continue to listen to the citizens of Orem,” he said. “This change to the master plan shows that we as a city are taking these issues seriously, planning for responsible growth, and pursuing zoning regulations that support the values of our community.”

Stacy Johnson, Daily Herald file photo

The intersection of University Parkway and State Street in Orem is photographed on Friday, Nov. 1, 2019.

Spencer added that he looks forward to bringing new ideas to the table as the council plans to beautify State Street and the community.

“We need to find solutions that keep our city business-friendly, to keep our existing businesses here and attract new ones,” Spencer said. “I am excited about our vote tonight, and what it means for the bright future of Orem.”

Millett added her feelings about the future of what might happen with State Street.

“Tonight, the Orem City Council put in place ordinances that will beautify and revitalize State Street and protect Orem neighborhoods. We eliminated unlimited building heights, increased parking and setbacks, and stopped high-density housing from advancing into our neighborhoods,” Millett said. “The beautification changes will make State Street a more inviting corridor and encourage increased commercial development. I believe these improvements will position Orem in a positive way for future growth and opportunities.”

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