With 27 conditions attached to it, a controversial 68-lot subdivision project on 51.8 acres proposed at 4400 North in the Provo Riverbottoms area was approved by the Provo Planning Commission Wednesday.
Those conditions include keeping the jogging path in place along the perimeter of the project and looking at a bridge to University Avenue sometime in the future.Commissioner Sheldon Nelson placed the motion "because it is probably the lowest-density proposal we may see" and the motion passed by a 5-2 vote.
But Georgetown subdivision spokesman Sue Marie Young promptly promised an appeal to the City Council. The decision followed a total of nearly four hours' dis-cus-sion over the past two meetings and involved residents in both Orem and Provo worried about impacts from the project.
"That's not why we moved to Georgetown (to live on a busy road) and we were there first," said Young, upset because she estimates traffic will increase by 25 more cars every 15 minutes in front of her home. She, along with Williamsburg subdivision residents, want another access over the river to University Avenue instead of turning 450 West into a collector.
Orem resident Richard Ehlert said that while he and his neighbors are pro-development, their concerns are with the traffic too.
"We ask the commission to look very carefully at this. You have only a 16-foot road as the main access (if you use Carterville Road)," he said.
Carterville Road would need to be disconnected from Provo and deeded back to Orem, explained Richard Secrist, assistant manager for Provo Development Services. That would mean Orem city would again pick up the maintenance and responsibility for the section annexed to Provo in 1992 when the same type of project was proposed by another developer.
"It does not meet Provo city road standards as it is," said Secrist. "It probably doesn't meet Orem's either."
Carterville Road is a sore point with Orem residents, as project planners intend to use the rural road for one of the two access points for the homes. Originally residents were promised the access would stay off Carterville Road.
Orem and Provo city officials also agreed in 1992 to protect the jogging path through the area and even included money in escrow to secure an easement for that path.
Provo planners said they want the path constructed first so it doesn't "get lost" as the project moves along.
Scott McQuarrie, representing BTS Investments, said the project plans include 25,000 feet of trails and jogging/equestrian paths, 1,000 square feet of median landscaping and 2,000 square feet of land donated for a footbridge across the Provo River.
The jogging path would follow Carterville Road on the east side as it does now and pick up heading east on 4800 North (Orem Center Street) over to 300 West, where it will turn south and follow the back property line of the BTS office complex (on the west side of the Provo River) to the future city park and either loop back or connect through to Carterville Road once more.
McQuarrie also promised to donate $50,000 toward the park Provo city has planned adjacent to the project - in lieu of the 69,000 square feet of open space required for the acreage involved in his plans.
McQuarrie said the $50,000 is in addition to another $100,000 donated by BTS for improvements along the river by their proposed office complex.
He said the extra-large lots for the homes - which must be at least 2,200 square feet for a one-story home and 3,900 for a two-story or larger - will provide a great deal of open space.
Planning commissioners asked McQuarrie to consider putting land aside for construction of a bridge in the future.
The commission is also requiring BTS to install a sewer lift station for the project's needs along with adherence to floodplain setbacks of 100 feet and a 25-year storm plan.