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Downtown American Fork is pictured Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026.

Jacob Nielson, Daily Herald

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A screen grab of suggested development focus areas in the American Fork proposed 2026 general plan are shown.

American Fork City

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American Fork is working on an updated general plan that aims to establish long-term land-use goals that promote development, affordability and access while preserving the city’s history.

While specific components of the general plan are regularly amended, this marks the first comprehensive update to the plan in more than 15 years, according to Assistant City Administrator Camden Bird.

A public hearing was scheduled Wednesday night during an American Fork Planning Commission meeting to discuss the proposed plan, marking the latest step in a multiyear process.

“For years, we’ve done a lot of public engagement and feedback,” Bird said. “And anything that we’re trying to do public comment on, everything we’re presenting, is really derived from public input that we’ve already gotten.”

With an approximate population of 41,000, American Fork is a centrally-located, growing city in the north part of the county with direct access to Interstate-15 and Pioneer Crossing. It has “significant undeveloped land opportunities,” according to the proposed 2026 general plan.

City documents say the plan would expand the city’s housing policy by addressing home affordability and allowing a broader range of home types in certain zones, such as single-family homes, townhomes and apartments.

It would also offer clearer guidance on what types of future development are expected in different areas and preserve established neighborhoods while “allowing context-sensitive infill and redevelopment,” the city outlined.

“We’re continually trying to strike a balance between preserving identity and community and (helping people) feel secure,” Bird said. “And weighing that against desires for people to have their kids and their grandkids have a place to stay in the housing crisis, and (following) state mandates on housing that are outside of our control.”

City documents say the plan would require new developments to adhere to transportation policies that mitigate traffic impacts and offer pedestrian facilities while also contributing to parks, trails or open space. The proposal would also prioritize economic development by encouraging the redevelopment of underused commercial and industrial areas and supporting “employment-generating uses.”

American Fork has targeted seven focus areas for development with the city. They include downtown, the marina, the north gateway — which is open space north of the Timpanogos Temple — and the east gateway, which is the commercial area of State Street east of downtown.

The commercial district north of Interstate 15 Exit 278, the transit center south of Exit 278 and the employment center around Exit 276 were also identified.

Of the several suggested proposals are commercial development in north gateway, an entertainment district in the transit center and a gathering place in the downtown area, as well as turning the marina into a cultural and recreational destination.

“A component of our general plan is what we call polycentric, which is really just these multicenters at different parts of our town that can accomplish different things,” Bird said. “One of them has a gateway entrance-type feature. Our harbor area can have more of a recreational theme component to it, but still have other mixed uses, maybe businesses, maybe homes as well.”

Bird said the next step is for the Planning Commission to adopt the general plan and code rewrites. The plan could be adopted by the City Council as early as this spring.

The city, however, is still asking for feedback from the community and is inviting the public to go to its website for additional information.

“We’ve done a lot of stuff, and so it’s kind of brought us to where we’re at, where we can say ‘Here’s something more of substance for you guys to actually sink your teeth into and really look at,'” Bird said. “And from that, we’re then asking for more feedback.”