Changes in Copper Rim development commercial space
Aug 25, 2021 12:20PM ● By Erin Dixon
Zoning when the plan was first approved. (image/West Jordan)
By Erin Dixon| [email protected]
The West Jordan City Council approved a development on the east side of Mountain View Corridor, north of 7800 South, called Copper Rim. Again.
The project, owned by CW Land Co, was brought to the planning commission in 2015. When it was approved at that time, 35 of the 200 acres were dedicated to commercial buildings.
Between 2015 and 2019, the council put an IOZ (Interlay Overchange Zone) on that area, allowing a mix of commercial and housing. Without an IOZ, commercial and residential must be separate.
This past February, the developer modified the 35 acres of commercial to fit the IOZ, adding single-family and townhomes, reducing the dedicated commercial area to 10 acres.
Most of the comments from the council after the change were negative.
“I think we’re cutting too much of the commercial out,” Councilmember Melissa Worthen said. “I don’t want to give up commercial because the future is still ahead of us, and you can’t get it back.”
Councilmember Chris McConnehey agreed. “We hear frequently from the residents that live out there the need for additional services, additional businesses,” he said.
Councilmember Chad Lamb was less opposed to the idea of less business space.
Zoning as it was finally adopted. (image/West Jordan)
“I’m also seeing that commercial is different than it was 30 years ago,” Lamb said. We can’t even get a retailer to move into our target building that’s empty.”
Ultimately, the council directed staff and the developer to come back later with a new plan.
The discussion renewed in July.
Ray McCandless, West Jordan senior planner, said the developers revisions to the council.
“The biggest change is the amount of commercial area (from 10.6 acres to 23.1),” McCandless said.
Over 100 homes were removed from the plan.
In response to July changes, a re-increase of commercial and a small decrease in residential, some council members were pleased; others were not.
Councilmember Zach Jacob wanted the commercial space to return to the full 35 acres.
“We are not talking about increasing commercial; we are talking about shrinking the commercial from 35 acres to 23,” he said. “And put houses where commercial was previously approved. We already met in the middle. I think the city wanted 50 [in 2015]. At what point do we say you get what you get? I know we’ve got a lot of empty commercial space, but it will get built. We’ve seen it in other cities. They sit on an empty field. If you hold the line, eventually it will develop.”
Green defended the developer saying: “Normally I would agree with you This one is slightly different because we changed the rules a little bit (referring to the IOZ zone). The developer is trying to play by our rules.”
Jacob agreed but lamented and wished they could go back and revise the IOZ overlay.
The 23 acres commercial with the remaining property as residential was approved 5 to 1. Jacob was the dissenting vote; Worthen was not in attendance.
