Orem officials don't want to put temptation in front of junior high school students or even just across the street.
The fact that Orem Junior High School is directly across from a parcel proposed for development by EsNet Corp. prompted city officials Tuesday to require fast-food operations or convenience stores to ask again before they're permitted in the planned commercial zone.The council decided Tuesday to allow a number of changes in the zone known as PC-3 that will permit EsNet to move ahead with its commercial project east of the new Timpanogos Regional Hospital.
But any proposal for a fast-food enterprise or convenience store proposal will have to come back for conditional approval.
City Council members are concerned that allowing a fast-food franchise or a convenience store into the development will create too much temptation for Orem Junior High students across 800 North.
Students may try to cross the busy and dangerous street during school hours, said those opposed to adding fast-food and convenience businesses to the uses permitted in a planned commercial zone.
Orem only has two places that are designated PC-3. One is at the corner of Center and State where the Smith's Food King store and ShopKo anchors are located.
The other is the property owned by EsNet along 800 North.
EsNet had asked the council to change the PC-3 requirements so they could develop without a major anchor store, reduce the maximum building height and be al-lowed to put in more landscaping than usually required.
EsNet representative Randy Deschamps told the council that different businesses are asking to be part of the development than those interested before the hospital was completed. He said most of the interest is coming from those that would normally locate in a professional office zone.
He said EsNet hopes to attract a number of small businesses and some medical-related industry.
"Now (with the zoning changes) we can make something happen that we couldn't before. We want a showpiece project," Deschamps said. "We've doubled the landscaping standards. This will never look like State Street."
Lisa Deason, former planning commissioner and a member of the Board of Adjustments, said she would hope any fast-food business or convenience store would be as far away as possible from the junior high school.
"These kind of businesses tend to act as a magnet for kids," she said.
Councilman Bill Peperone said commercial zoning in Orem is hard to come by. He said it also creates conflict to try and create commercial zones in a city.
"Here we have the zoning in place and we have a developer willing to work in that zone. We get rid of the big box anchor requirement and get more protection, more landscaping."
Neighbors in the area said they've been meeting consistently with EsNet representatives and feel comfortable with the project.
It was noted that the changes do not make those businesses in the other PC-3 project nonconforming except in the setback requirements.
Councilwoman Judy Bell moved to approve the zone requirement changes, and the motion was unanimously approved.