Ephraim dealing with new multi-family housing requests

EPHRAIM—The Ephraim City Council has grappled with two major apartment complexes both along 200 East near 700 North, at meetings Aug. 5 and Sept. 2. As presented, the two complexes combined would have 104 units.

In August, the council took up Sunrise Village on 7th, located at 150 East 700 North, which has been under development for some time. Plans show it consisting of five two-story buildings with 60 total units.

Most of the units in the complex are two-bedroom and about 1,000 square feet renting for $1,385 per month. Some units are three-bedroom, 1,355 square feet, renting at $1,585 per month.

The developers, Jesse and Amy Chidester of Springville, reported two of the five buildings are complete with all apartments rented.

The Chidesters asked the city council to permit them to offer units in three yet-to-be constructed buildings as condominiums rather than rentals. They said the projected sale price of the units would be $290,000 to $325,000.

The units would be among the first apartment-style condominiums (as opposed to townhome condominiums) in the city.

The Chidesters submitted a document called “Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions” (CCNRs), which define the role of a homeowners association in a condominium development, to the planning commission and city council.

But when the condominium conversion proposal first came up in July, Councilman Bud Powell voted “no.” He had questions about how the three buildings would be operated and maintained. He said he was “concerned for potential buyers, what would they be buying into.”

But by the August meeting, he said his questions had been resolved. The council approved the conversion unanimously. Powell thanked the developers for “thinking of future needs.” He said, “You have done great work…I have no negative vibes to send out.”

But when a 44-unit complex on property abutting Sunrise Village came before the council last week, the council, by a vote of 4-1, said “no,” at least for now.

The application was submitted by Guilford Rand, an architect working with Geoff Dearing, owner of the property, and Brian Bird of Provo, the prospective developer.

Dearing planned to sell the property to Bird, contingent on the city council approving a conditional use permit, which is required for major developments.

A planning staff report said that although the proposal met zoning requirements, “the intensity of development is greater than surrounding properties.”

The report also said 200 East, the street the complex would front on, “is currently a narrow roadway that exhibits areas of deterioration.”

While the applicant offered to put down new asphalt along the frontage of the proposed complex, the staff recommended requiring the developers to put in 28 feet of asphalt along the whole street from the boundary of  their proposed complex to 700 North.

Councilman Powell moved to deny the conditional use permit saying, “I don’t think that the plan (submitted) fully mitigates all the adverse impacts.” But he said the people proposing the complex were welcome to refine their plan and bring it back to the council.