Planning Commission Meeting - December 5, 2024

Meeting Summary

The Planning Commission's headline action was a negative recommendation to the City Council on a proposed update to Lehi's development code aimed at expanding affordable and attainable housing options. City Planner Brittney Harris opened the hearing by acknowledging that affordable and attainable housing is a "wicked problem" for Lehi — one without an easy fix — and walked the commission through the draft amendment, which had drawn significant attention as a controversial change to how higher-density and lower-cost housing could be developed in the city. After a lengthy discussion and public comment, the commission concluded the proposal was not ready to move forward and voted to send it back to the City Council with a negative recommendation. Commissioners cited ambiguity in the drafting and a lack of detail on key provisions, along with concerns about negative impacts on existing homeowners, overcrowding of schools, strain on city infrastructure, and the absence of broader stakeholder input in shaping the proposal. The recommendation was effectively a request to slow down and rebuild the proposal before the Council acts. The City Council retains the final say on the code amendment and is not bound by the commission's recommendation. Residents on both sides of the housing debate should expect this item to return — likely in revised form — to a future Council agenda. In the meantime, the negative recommendation signals to staff and the Council that the affordable housing concept needs substantial rework before it is ready for a vote.