Draper City Planning Commission Meeting - October 23, 2025

The Draper City Planning Commission convened on Thursday, October 23, 2025, at 6:30 p.m., with Vice Chair Lisa Fowler presiding in the absence of the Chair. The meeting addressed five main agenda items, including the approval of previous meeting minutes, three public hearings for land use amendments and permits, and one administrative plat amendment. Two items originally on the agenda (plumber zoning map amendment and Fetser land use and zoning map amendment) were continued to a future meeting. All approved items moved forward with unanimous support from the five-member commission.

Consent Calendar

• The Planning Commission unanimously approved the minutes from the September 25, 2025, meeting based on a motion by Commissioner Susan and a second by Commissioner Mary. All five members (Susan, Lara, Christine, Mary, and Lisa Fowler) voted "yes."

Public Comments & Testimony

• Pond Lane Plat Amendment: Art Johnson, representing Lot 1 at 291 East Pond Lane, expressed support for the amendment, noting the property line intersection posed no problems and confirming he had signed off on the plan.
• Specialized Manufacturing Site Plan:
  • Mason Chavez, the project architect, expressed support and cooperation, confirming that the Commission staff's concerns regarding excessive turf grass and planting coverage had already been addressed in a re-application to the city prior to the hearing.
  • Bob Simons, the project sponsor, expressed strong support for remaining in Draper, highlighting the company's 30-year history and growth plans. He expressed willingness to comply with all conditions, including reducing turf area.
• Premier Engraving Home Occupancy: No public testimony was offered during the hearing for this item.

Discussion Items

• Pond Lane Plat Amendment: Staff explained the request was to amend recorded setbacks on Plot 2 from 20 feet to 12 feet to allow for a side addition, adhering to a recently signed settlement agreement. Applicant Trent Iyer confirmed simplicity of the request. One Commissioner noted the proposal seemed redundant due to the prior signed agreement but accepted it as an official process.
• Specialized Manufacturing Site Plan:
  • Staff detailed a request for a Specialized Manufacturing Site Plan, Conditional Use Permit (for limited manufacturing and wholesale/warehousing), and a parking deviation (increasing from 94 to 135 stalls).
  • Discussion highlights included a condition to reduce turf grass from the landscaped area (currently exceeding the 20% limit) and increase plant coverage (currently at 68% of the 75% maturity requirement). One Commissioner expressed enthusiasm for the requested parking increase, noting it countered the common trend of under-provisioning.
  • Applicant Bob Simons reiterated the company's commitment to Draper, estimated 70 current employees with plans to expand, and the logic behind the expanded parking for future needs.
• Premier Engraving Home Occupancy:
  • Staff described a cottage business (engraving and custom awards) with no customer visits and contained operations within a home and garage.
  • Commissioner Lara expressed concern about potential noise, comparing it to leaf blowers, but was reassured by the applicant's description of minimal, contained sound. Applicant Chloe Wardle confirmed the use of three engraving machines and two UV printers, stating no discernible noise escapes the home or garage. The applicant also clarified that all outbound mail is dropped at the Post Office, not delivered to the residence.
• Eagle Crest Platte Amendment:
  • Staff presented an amendment to adjust the "non-disturbance area" on a 0.83-acre lot in the RR-22 zone, removing 1,641 square feet to allow for more developable space (greenhouse/structure expansion) while remaining compliant with a geotechnical report.
  • One Commissioner raised a concern about setting a precedent for removing non-disturbance areas, suggesting such cases should involve a land swap (trading land out of the non-disturbance for land elsewhere). Staff clarified that applicants must still undergo a geotechnical review process for any removal.
  • The applicant, John LeBaron, explained the request was driven by the need for a greenhouse due to harsh winter conditions and sought to correct prior unintended disturbances (a garden bed and non-compliant retaining walls) by formalizing their removal from the non-disturbance zone. Staff confirmed the proposed line change aligned with neighbor-built retaining walls.

Key Outcomes

• Pond Lane Plat Amendment (App. 2025-0082-SUB): Approved unanimously. Motion by Susan, second by Laura. Findings for approval included good cause for amendment and no impact on municipal utilities.
• Specialized Manufacturing Site Plan (App. 2025-0123-SP): Approved unanimously (5-0). Motion by Susan, second by Christine, subject to landscaping conditions (reducing turf and increasing plant coverage) and other stipulations in the Oct 16, 2025 staff report.
• Specialized Manufacturing Parking Deviation (App. 2025-0219-VAR): Approved unanimously (5-0). Motion by Mary, second by Laura, increasing stall count to 135 based on a valid traffic study.
• Specialized Manufacturing Conditional Use Permit (App. 2025-0079-USE): Approved unanimously (5-0). Motion by Susan, second by Laura, authorizing limited manufacturing and wholesale/warehousing uses.
• Premier Engraving Home Occupancy Conditional Use Permit (App. 2025-0173-USE): Approved unanimously (5-0). Motion by Laura, second by Mary, subject to conditions limiting operations to the specified home areas and maintaining a business license.
• Eagle Crest Platte Amendment (App. 2025-0056-SUB): Approved unanimously (5-0). Motion by Susan, second by Lara, subject to geotechnical report stipulations and conditions for construction compliance.
• Continuations: The Plumber Zoning Map Amendment and Fetser Land Use and Zoning Map Amendment requests were continued to a future meeting.
• Adjournment: The meeting adjourned following a report on recent Stationary Plan certifications and a Council-approved zoning map amendment for Kimball's Junction.