Harrison Epstein, Daily Herald

On Thursday, the Pleasant Grove City Council held a public hearing to discuss — and ultimately approve — three ordinances related to the sprawling Valley Grove commercial/residential development gradually being brought to life by St. John Properties.

The first ordinance would create a new overlay zone, called the Valley Grove Overlay, followed by the subsequent application of said overlay to a 47.28-acre plot south of Valley Grove Way and east of Pleasant Grove Boulevard and a 5.22-acre plot east of South Mountain View Lane and north of North County Boulevard.

Broadly, the use of overlay zones allows for multiple types of property — residential, commercial, mixed-use — to be built in one area despite the area’s previous zoning.

“This is going to be a beautiful project. It’s going to bring a lot of businesses to town and we’ve said for a long time we’re open for business,” council member Dianna Andersen said.

In May, St. John broke ground on Phase 6 of the Valley Grove development — a $600 million, 47-acre project adjacent to Interstate 15 near Pleasant Grove Boulevard. At the time of the groundbreaking, Daniel Thomas, regional partner with St. John Properties, called the plan a “vibrant, high-density, mixed-use project” with 300,000 square feet of office space, over 1,100 homes, a 2.1-acre promenade/community space and 200,000 square feet of retail space.

Harrison Epstein, Daily Herald

The overlay zone was approved by a 4-1 vote, contingent on the signing of a development agreement between Pleasant Grove and St. John Properties. Council member and Mayor Pro Tem Cyd LeMone was the lone no vote, saying she voted against the ordinance because it would run counter to her decade-long work on multifamily housing.

“I feel like I would be going against what I’ve been trying to fight for in that area,” LeMone said. “But I do think it’s going to be a beautiful project with restaurants and shopping and I do support that aspect of the project. I just can’t in good conscience go against what I’ve been trying to do.”

The zoning could not be done through a development agreement. Rather, it needed City Council approval, according to Daniel Cardenas, Pleasant Grove community development director.

This overlay zone is designed to include high-density housing at a maximum capacity of 26 units per acre, according to the presentation. This would meet the company’s previously announced plan of 1,155 homes.

St. John Properties, with the overlay zone in place, can construct apartments or condos in the areas, both of which, the company said, will help pay for other parts of the development but would impact the amount of parking required.

Only one resident, Lon Lewis, spoke during the public hearing, urging the council to reject the overlay zone because of its size and scope.

“Whether it be for the benefit of a courtyard, a public way, a public — I don’t know what we’re calling, the promenade — we don’t need luxury units in Pleasant Grove. I think we can identify that the actual benefit for Pleasant Grove citizens is out the window,” Lewis said.

The development will include a series of luxury residential units, defined as any unit with over $250,000 in construction costs. Design standards also list a series of amenities required for property to qualify as “luxury residential units.” This includes high-quality building materials, social rooms, a bike storage area, fitness facilities, structured parking garages and more. City council members were primarily concerned with the quality of residential units and available parking.

“What that apartment looks like, and the quality of that apartment, is what you’re going to be able to charge for rent. You can’t have low-quality everything and charge high rent,” LeMone said.

The city requires 1.5 parking spaces per studio apartment, 1.5 for a one-bedroom unit, 1.75 for a two-bedroom and two spaces for a three-bedroom, according to Cardenas’ presentation. The zone, Cardenas reminded the City Council, is an overhead look while the development agreement will include more details on exact plans. A representative for St. John Properties proceeded to walk through interior layout plans for the council based off other residential units owned by the company.

The Valley Grove development has previously been scrutinized by the city’s planning commission, Cardenas said, and would be done in phases. City Administrator Scott Darrington said the phasing is intended to prevent all of the residential work being completed before any retail space is built.

According to the presentation, the phases are:

• Phase 1: The developer must have a minimum of 65,000 square feet of retail space completed or under construction before being eligible for the first residential building permit.
• Phase 2: The developer must have a minimum of 132,000 square feet of retail space completed or under construction with the building foundation completed and the first half of the promenade approved for construction with the city having already agreed to a site plan. This must be done before occupancy permits can be issued for either the second residential building, the office/retail space adjacent to the promenade or the other building, which allows the development to meet the minimum square footage.
• Phase 3: The developer must have a minimum of 200,000 square feet of retail space completed or under construction with the second half of the promenade site plan approved. At this point, the developer may receive a building permit for the third residential building. The promenade must be completed before an occupancy permit can be issued, akin to Phase 2.

Also part of the project will be 130-room hotel, of which a portion of the square footage will count toward the retail space targets. The credits will count under the foundation’s completion “at a minimum.”

The application of the overlay zone was also approved, by 4-1 votes in both instances, after no comments were made by members of the public. Construction is expected to begin shortly on the property.

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