LAYTON -- The City Council has approved changes to its land-use plan for the old downtown area on south Main Street that will prohibit certain "undesirable" businesses.
The council established a new downtown overlay zone Aug. 19 that makes some significant changes in what type of new businesses can locate in the area.The area is generally bordered by I-15 on the south and east, the Union Pacific train tracks on the west and about 600 North. However, some large tracts on the west side of Main Street and north of Church Street are not included in the overlay zone.
Even though the area is zoned highway-commercial, the changes mean that some of the usual conditional or permitted uses in old downtown will not be allowed in the future because of the special overlay zone.
Halfway houses, power plants, substations, storage yards or buildings, towing services, paint and body shops, kennels, truck and trailer rental, big retail stores and trucking or warehouse operations are among the types of businesses that cannot locate in the designated area.
Scott Carter, Layton director of community and economic development, said the city has met with old-downtown landowners several times. He said the merchants there want to maintain the historical flavor of the area. Meanwhile, city leaders want to do all they can to improve and bolster the image of Layton's original business district.
"I think it looks pretty good," Mayor Jerry Stevenson said.
However, he predicts that as the city gets further along in this process to improve old downtown, not every landowner will favor the changes.
The City Council was initially concerned because the new zoning limitations for old downtown prohibit any big commercial store, like Fred Meyer, from locating there.
But Carter said that's mainly because lots in the area aren't conducive to such a large retail development.
Stevenson said a large tract around the Diamond T store at 451 N. Main isn't included in the overlay zone because enough open land is still available there for a big retail store.
The council also discussed the prospects of utilizing the Kays Creek waterway area, south of Gentile and near South Main, as an attractively developed business area.