The Eagle Mountain City Council and Planning Commission held a special work session on December 12, 2017 to go over a new General Plan. The meeting was attended by members of the Planning Commission, current members of the City Council, the City Council and Mayor Elect, and several City Staff. There were three residents in attendance as well, one of them a former member of the Planning Commission. The meeting was to discuss the new General Plan that the city staff and consultants have been working on for the last couple of years. The plan is currently in Phase 6 of 8. According to the consultants website Phase 6, the Formulate Draft Plan, will continue into Feb of 2018. Then it will move to Phase 7, the Approval Process, which will finish in May 2018. Phase 8, the Publish Final Plan, is also scheduled for May 2018.
Earlier in the year the city arranged an open house to show three concept maps. This Draft includes details from all three of those maps, including changes based on City Staff and Resident input. The draft also has been reviewed by a Steering Committee and a focus group. The last open house for public input was held at Nolan Park during Pony Express days on Jun 30th 2017.
The map divides the city into different types of zoning and neighborhood areas. The residential categories included: Agricultural Conservation; Conservation Neighborhood One and Two; Rural Density One and Two; Neighborhood Residential One, Two and Three. The Mixed Use/Commercial Categories included: Community Commercial; Town Center Mixed Use; Regional Commercial; Employment Center/Campus; Business Park/Light Industrial. There were also areas for Public/Civic that included: Civic Use/Schools; Parks and Open Space. It was noted by City Staff that code changes will need to also be made in the future to allow areas to be zoned with the new general plan guidelines.
After the city council and commission discussed the maps, each group selected a spokes person to share what they had discussed as CRSA consolidated the maps. Tom Westmoreland, current city Council Member and Mayor-Elect, talked for one of the groups and Muriel Xochimitl, a former Planning Commission member that was recently replaced by Brett Wright or DeLin Anderson, talked for the second group. The City Council and Planning Commission discussed their concerns about transportation, open space, and other city growth topics. Their input was recorded by CRSA and will be used in finalizing the document. I felt the public should have a copy of the draft that was discusses, so I did a GRAMA request with the city for the 114 page draft document. The GRAMA request was denied based on the fact that no City Council action was taken, and the document has not been finalized. The document will be available to the public after receiving more public feedback in the future. Until then the document will be considered protected. CRSA website states this about the draft document, “As we work on the General Plan update we will post a draft document for you to comment on and give us feedback. Please check back periodically for these updates.” The full draft document has never been posted for review by the public, but they have posted several scenario maps for public input.
People in Attendance
City Council:
Ben Reeves, Colby Curtis, and Tom Westmoreland (Mayor-Elect)
Council Elect:
Melissa Clark, and Donna Burnham
Planning Commission:
John Linton, Matt Everett, Rich Wood, Brett Wright, and DeLin Anderson.
City Staff:
Steve Mumford (Development Director), Michael Hadley (Planning Manager), Tayler Jensen (Planner), and Fionnula Kofoed (City Recorder)
Residents:
Tyler Shimakonis, Mike Kieffer, and Muriel Xochimitl (former Planning Commission member)
As mentioned above the draft was created using suggestions and data provided by a Steering Committee and Focus Groups. Below is a list of the members of both of these groups.
Steering Committee
Steve Mumford (Community Development Director)
Mike Hadley (Planning Manager)
Tayler Jensen (Planner II)
Chris Trusty (City Engineer)
Ifo Pili (City Administrator)
Paul Jerome (Asst City Administrator / Finance Director)
Brad Hickman (Parks & Recreation Director)
Mayor Pengra / Painter
Aaron Sanborn (Economic Development Manager)
Planning Commissioner John Linton
Councilmember Tom Westmoreland
Councilmember Stephanie Gricius
Focus Groups
Regional Context & Collaboration:
Eric McDowell (Utah County Sheriffs)
Dan DeVoogd (Area Fire Marshal)
Sarah Carroll (Saratoga Springs Planning Dept)
Shawn Seager (Mountainland Association of Governments)
Adam Ferre (Rocky Mountain Power)
Rob Smith (Alpine School District)
LTC Matt Price (Utah Army National Guard – Camp Williams)
Nodes & Neighborhoods / Community & Culture
Steve Conger
Vincent Liddiard
Darren Garrett
Maria Hopkin
Paul Jerome
Ryan Ireland
Shon Reed
Cougar Hall
John Linton
Diane Bradshaw
Scot Hazard
Charlotte Ducos
Scott Langford
Brian Haskell
Linda Peterson
Adam Olsen
Jon Celaya
Ryan Myer
Additional Resources
Website on General Plan by CRSA
CRSA Website
Zions Public Finance Website
Alta Planning and Design Website
Mike Kieffer – Editor-in-Chief, Cedar Valley Sentinel
Mike Kieffer is a dynamic leader and community advocate based in Eagle Mountain, Utah. He serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Cedar Valley Sentinel, a local publication dedicated to informing, inspiring, and elevating the Cedar Valley community through honest and accurate journalism. With a passion for fostering connections, Kieffer has made it his mission to highlight local businesses, provide reliable news, and support community development.
Beyond his editorial role, Kieffer is the owner of Lake Mountain Media, LLC, a company specializing in media and communications, and the co-owner of Quail Run Farms, which focuses on sustainable farming and community engagement. He also actively contributes to the local economy and culture as a member of the Eagle Mountain Chamber of Commerce.
Kieffer’s dedication extends to preserving and promoting the history and heritage of the Cedar Valley area. He often participates in community-centered events and media, including podcasts that explore the unique aspects of life in the region. Through his varied endeavors, he remains a steadfast advocate for the growth and enrichment of the local community.