What's Happening in Planning?

1. New Development
2. The Draft General Plan went before the City Council on November 1st for their review and the Plan was tabled so the City Council can review the recommended changes from the Planning Commission.

   The Planning Commission was asked by the City Council to review and make recommended changes to the General Plan. Over the last eight (8) months the Planning Commission held numerous public meetings to gain insight and recommendations from property owners and other interested parties. The Planning Commission held a public hearing on the proposed General Plan and the attached documents are their recommendations.

Why are changes in the General Plan needed?

An update is needed because the last comprehensive update to the City's General Plan was completed in 1996. Updates have been made since then but because of the rapid growth the city has experienced viewpoints have changed and a more comprehensive update was needed. The current plan has outdated information, assumptions, projections and policies. General plans typically look 15 - 25 years into the future.

This process also provides a chance for the community to evaluate the existing plan and update policies where necessary in order to adequately meet the future needs of the community.

What is covered in the General Plan?

The General Plan comprises goals, policies, programs and actions, which are based on an assessment of current and future needs and available resources. Once adopted, the document becomes the principal tool for the City to use when evaluating public and private building projects and municipal service improvements.

How does the General Plan affect development?

The General Plan establishes policies for regulating new development projects within the city. These policies are then translated into implementation tools (such as the zoning ordinance, subdivision regulations, and design guidelines) to assure that the community's vision is implemented. However, the General Plan is designed to be adaptable to unique projects, and a project may go through discretionary approval in front of the Planning Commission and/or City Council.

Why should I get involved?

Do you have an opinion on how the city should grow? Are there certain things you would like to see in Spanish Fork in the future? Are you concerned about issues like housing, jobs, and the environment?