Draper City Council Meeting – January 20, 2026: Legislative Report, Boundary Adjustment, Alcohol Permits, Zoning Change, Farmers Market
Draper City Council Meeting – January 20, 2026
The Draper City Council met on January 20, 2026, with four members present (Councilman Green deployed). The meeting included a legislative report from newly elected Representative Calvin Roberts, a boundary adjustment discussion with Alpine City, a closed session for litigation, public hearings on alcohol permits, a zoning map amendment, and a council discussion on the farmers market location.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the January 6, 2026 City Council meeting minutes.
- Approved Resolution 25-2605 reappointing Corina Pace to the Historic Preservation Commission.
- Approved Resolution 2606 disposing of property seized as evidence per Utah Code 77-11A-402.
- Motion by Councilmember Lowry, second by Johnson; passed unanimously 4-0.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Reed Gibby (address not given) commented on carbon dioxide, stating its warming effect is logarithmic and that current levels around 420 ppm are not dangerous. He said he would send an email with more information.
- Kimber Tunbridge (11853 South 700 East) requested completion of missing sidewalk, curb, and gutter in front of her property on 700 East. She cited safety concerns for pedestrians (children walking to school) and storm runoff flooding her driveway. She noted a utility pole that had been moved but the infrastructure was never completed. City staff later indicated that portion of 700 East is state-managed, limiting city action.
Discussion Items
Legislative Report – Representative Calvin Roberts
- Rep. Roberts reported on the 2026 legislative session, highlighting cost of living as the top issue. He chairs the Commission on Housing Affordability.
- Housing Infrastructure Bill: Would create a state fund to provide below-market loans to cities for regional infrastructure with a nexus to housing, rather than preempting local land use authority. Example: West Jordan project with 2,000 entitled units stalled due to $25 million water tank costs.
- State Land Entitlement: Bill to process state-owned land (e.g., 300 acres in Salt Lake County owned by UDOT) in partnership with local governments to make it available for development.
- Gas Tax Reduction: Bill to reduce the gas tax by 50%, revenue-neutral to the transportation fund. Sponsored at the request of Speaker Mike Schultz.
- Economic Development Bill: Creates city-led regionally important zones that can include school board tax increment, outside the normal CRA/RDA process.
- Infrastructure for West Draper TOD: Rep. Roberts noted $18 million needed for first-phase backbone infrastructure and is working to include state financing in his bill.
- Property Tax: Mayor expressed concern about proposed property tax caps, citing a potential $1.6 million budget hole for Draper. Rep. Roberts clarified that one bill (increasing the residential exemption) would shift burden to commercial property, holding city revenue harmless. The mayor worried about commercial cost pass-through to consumers. Councilmember Johnson agreed that preempting local taxing authority could lead to more frequent increases.
- Land Use Preemption: Rep. Roberts stated the House is not supportive of local land use preemption, and Speaker Schultz has indicated it won't pass. He emphasized partnering with cities on infrastructure to unlock entitled units. Mayor noted 138,000 entitled units statewide remain unbuilt, blaming factors beyond zoning.
- Station Area Plans: Councilmember Dahl raised need for infrastructure funding at Kimball Lane station area, as the city was forced to entitle density. Rep. Roberts is working to make station area infrastructure eligible in his bill.
Boundary Adjustment with Alpine City
- A surveyor (not named in transcript) presented a proposal to adjust the Draper/Alpine city line to resolve a gap caused by an 1855 Alpine annexation and later county GIS discrepancy. The gap is a triangle less than 17 feet wide at its south end, currently unowned and untaxed.
- The adjustment would move the city line west to match existing monumented property lines, placing the gap into Draper and merging it into adjacent Alpine lots. The surveyor stated that Alpine's approved plat originally respected the west line, but county GIS moved it, creating the gap.
- The surveyor has consulted with Draper's surveyor (Dale Robinson of Sunrise Engineering), who agreed with the proposed line.
- Next step: both cities (Draper and Alpine) will pass a resolution of intent to adjust the common boundary, followed by a public hearing.
- Council members questioned the status of the land (vacant, with a ravine making Draper ownership impractical) and noted no opposition. The council agreed to proceed.
Public Hearings – Alcohol Permits
- Single Event Permit: For CRUE Group LLC dba Utah Premier Events (Galantines event) at the Ballard event space, 14658 South Banner Parkway, February 12–14, 5–11 p.m. No public comment. Approved unanimously 4-0.
- Full Service Restaurant License: For Star Group LLC dba Desi Kitchen, 153 West 12300 South Suite 7, a new Indian restaurant. Met distance requirements from schools/churches. No public comment. Councilmember Johnson noted having eaten there and praised the food. Approved unanimously 4-0.
Butler Zoning Map Amendment (Ordinance 1697)
- Proposed amendment of approximately 1.04 acres at 283 East Tanger Lane from RA-1 (Residential Agricultural) to R-3 (Single Family Residential) to allow subdivision into up to three lots.
- Staff reported that after a previous continuance, a feasibility study confirmed three compliant lots could be created with access from Tanger Lane. The applicant will submit a subdivision application after rezoning.
- Councilmember Lowry noted that surrounding area has significant R-3 zoning. Approved unanimously 4-0.
Council Items – Farmers Market Location
- Councilmember Kelly reported that the current vendor for the Tuesday night farmers market at Smithfields Park does not want to renew due to low vendor/produce sales. The vendor proposes moving to Draper Park, which they believe would attract more customers.
- Concerns raised: parking congestion at Draper Park, especially with T-ball on Tuesday nights; traffic on 1300 East; potential conflict with bike lanes and state law prohibiting impeding bike lanes; and the roundabout congestion.
- Options discussed: moving to a different day (Saturday morning) to avoid commuter traffic; finding a different vendor; or staying at Smithfields with a new vendor. Councilmembers expressed interest in Saturday mornings at Draper Park, as traffic is lighter and the park is well-used. Staff will explore the vendor's Saturday availability and other options.
Key Outcomes
- Boundary Adjustment: Council directed staff to proceed with a resolution of intent to adjust the common boundary with Alpine City, followed by a public hearing.
- Alcohol Permits: Both the single event permit and full service restaurant license were approved unanimously.
- Zoning Map Amendment: Ordinance 1697 (Butler) approved unanimously, allowing subdivision of the Tanger Lane property.
- Farmers Market: Staff will investigate the feasibility of moving the farmers market to Draper Park on Saturday mornings and report back to the council.
- Meeting Adjourned: Motion by Tasha, second by Catherine; passed unanimously.
Meeting Transcript
Let's start our meeting. 601. We got it recording. We ready to go? Yep. Speak up because the only speaker working is the one in front of Joshua. The other one's not working. So just be. This parcel and this parcel are in Alpine. As you can see, there's a little bitty gap right through there that we're trying to push back into these two parcels. So the history of this is Alpine did a uh annexation of this land back in 1855. So a long time ago. Two mile by two mile square. Uh about it says that it starts about 1,076 west of uh a section corner. Did you think 1855? Yes. Um that was eight years after. So the world, the world or the US is split up into sections. I know you guys all know that. They're typically one mile by one mile. These ones are a little bit wider than one mile by one mile. So and that wasn't determined until the year after. So the final initial survey of the PLSS, which is the public land system, was done a year after Alpine did their annexation, and it's a little bit wider than what the two mile by two mile. So this distance right here is about that one thousand seventy-six at that top part. So when they did this parceling, yeah. Yeah. So when they did this these parcels, they held that 1076 and cake out and then went over and created this parcel. So the D or this parcel and this parcel held that 1076, and it was actually over here on the west line of that little gap. Uh when they did this plat in Alpine, because it's in Alpine in 2017, actually before that, in 18 and 1950s, somewhere in that range, Draper says we're just gonna annex to this Alpine City line. So the two lines by deed are the same, which lines up about right there if you hold that two mile by two mile thing. If you hold the distance, it's the west line. So these deeds here for these two parcels are the same line. When they did this plat, Alpine City approved it with the line being over to the west edge. They actually marked the property corners on all three of these to that west line. So they're still there, still currently there. So those monuments are there. When it got to the county, the county GIS said, hey, wait, you're overlap in the city line too from this 1855 thing. And so they made them shorten their subdivision lines and created this gap piece there. Nobody owns it, nobody's being taxed on it. No. Okay. In reality, because those pins are there and that was originally there, the lock lines should go over. So what I'm suggesting here is to fix this ambiguity of where that city line is and shift it back to where the parcel lines and everybody's been using it for ever, right? So I'm just trying to fix a problem that occurred because of an apparent annexation thing back from 1855. So it is marked on the ground. And if you want to go to the plat. The second the middle one. Jake's called. Oh, Jake's got it. So this is what I'm proposing.
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