By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
A developer attended council meeting to discuss development plans for the recent annexation north of Nephi. Nephi City Council members and the city planning commission met together to discuss the Jones Annexation in light of the Nephi City General Plan. Terry Messersmith, the developer, met to discuss what he had in mind. “The development review committee and the city staff have some concerns,” said Seth Atkinson, city administrator. “We would need a substation before the subdivision could be completed.” Another problem, he said, was that the council thought that they and Messersmith were in agreement as to the number of lots to be built. “If the subdivision will be such a strain on the electrical grid,” said Donald Ball, “and a new substation has been built on the south end of the grid, would it be possible to rearrange how it is delivered?” “We reviewed 22 lots and the planning commission approved 44,” said Atkinson. A subdivision agreement will need to be established before building could begin, he said. “The planning commission offers their position,” said Justin Seely, mayor pro tempore. “Can we then decide what we want to do?” “They are the recommending body,” said Kasey Wright, city attorney. “I am the liaison between the council and the planning commission,” said Skip Worwood, council member. “They have two other steps that must be taken. They do understand our vision.” The residential district R-1-8 is established to provide for slightly higher density, single-family residential uses and planned unit development and to create an attractive residential environment in appropriate areas of the city. The minimum lot area for single-family, detached housing shall be not less than 8,000 square feet. “Zoning would not allow less than that,” said Atkinson. “You would need a different zone.” Atkinson said that there were four zones being discussed. The first was R-1-8. Residential district R-1H is established to provide for single-family residential uses, planned residential development and planned unit development, and to create an attractive residential environment in appropriate areas of the city. The minimum lot area for single-family, detached housing cannot be less than one acre. Residential district R-2-8 is established to provide for medium density residential housing, two-family dwellings, planned unit development and related uses, and to create an attractive residential environment in appropriate areas of the city. The minimum lot area for single-family dwellings cannot be less than 8,000 square feet with 5,000 additional square feet for each additional dwelling unit. Combined use district CU, which is the district for most of Main Street, is established to allow commercial development and higher density residential uses along major traffic thoroughfares and to provide standards to assure quality development and efficient traffic flow. The minimum lot area per dwelling will be not less than 8,000 square feet with 5,000 additional square feet for each additional dwelling unit. The maximum number of dwelling units allowed in any multi-family dwelling structure is 12. Wright said that Messersmith was asking that the entire annexation be zoned at the same time. Nathan Memmott, council member, said that if Messersmith was desirous of building some twin homes then the council should zone for the twin homes when they were proposed. He did not favor zoning for the entire annexation at once. “Our discussion with the planning commission was about lot size,” said Memmott. “We wanted to stay with the quarter-acre lots.” Some of the lots on the plan were smaller than that. Larry Ostler, council member, said he thought the council should zone just the first phase and should not zone all of the property at once. “The power grid, as it is, will take care of 22 homes,” said Atkinson. In addition, the council had agreed to having 22 homes built not the 44 lots that Messersmith had returned to the council with. Messersmith said that he was trying to find a happy medium. There were different lot sizes in his proposal. For example, by Nebo Heights, the lots would be 8,880 square feet and in other areas they would be over 9,000 square feet with the largest being 9,600 square feet on a lot size 90-feet wide and 107-feet deep. The lots could be bigger if the city would allow a cul de sac but they would not and he was planning for a road that the city would approve. “How many lots can you supply with electricity before the substation is built?” asked Messersmith. He said that he would be happy to limit how much development could be facilitated until the new substation was built. However, he hoped to be ready to begin building in the spring of 2020. “My whole goal is to realize your vision,” said Messersmith. “I need your blessing.” Seely said the council and planning commission needed to get the subdivision right to start with. “We need to be slow, controlled, almost methodical,” said Seely. “It is imperative that we get it right.”
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