Senator Curtis is collaborating with Utah transportation leaders to promote policies designed to address the state's rapid growth and affordable housing challenges, according to a press release from the office of Senator Curtis on Aug. 19, 2026. This legislative focus arrives as Utah municipalities continue to grapple with long-term urban planning and population density management.
Local Density Management
The push for statewide policy coordination comes as local leaders have spent years attempting to balance rapid expansion with sustainable infrastructure. In Lehi, for example, city officials have been engaged in a multi-year effort to finalize a General Plan aimed at managing the city's trajectory.
As Lehi Free Press first reported on Dec. 9, 2021, the city was working to finalize a General Plan update after the process had been tabled by the City Council on Oct. 12. At that time, the council was reviewing how to manage a population build-out that had previously been estimated as high as 300,000 residents.
Strategic Population Controls
Lehi officials have taken a strategic approach to controlling the city's size. Earlier in 2021, Lehi Community Development Director Kim Struthers stated that the Mayor and City Council requested a pause to re-evaluate build-out numbers because they did not want the city to reach the previously estimated population levels.
By the time of the council's review on Dec. 14, 2021, the updated plan had established a build-out population of 154,277. This was a reduction from the 160,314 residents projected in a previous map. To achieve this, city leaders removed density from several key areas, including the Main Street area, State Street, and the proposed Pioneer Village mixed-use area near Pioneer Crossing.
Regulation of Accessory Units
A significant component of the city's planning involves managing accessory dwelling units (ADUs), commonly known as basement apartments. This planning follows the passage of House Bill 82 by the state legislature, which made it illegal for cities and homeowners associations to restrict ADUs, though the bill included concessions lobbied for by Utah cities.
Under the state law, municipalities can restrict up to 25% of their homes from allowing ADUs, can enact a minimum lot size of 6,000 square feet, and can require at least one dedicated parking space per unit. In Lehi's updated map, city staff utilized a 20% threshold for ADUs to remain cautious.
City Engineer Lorin Powell noted that the 20% threshold was chosen because the national norm is approximately 10%, while the Gardner Institute uses 4% and the National Association of Realtors uses 8%. Powell also anticipated that the number of ADUs would grow as rising home prices drive family members to live together.
Thanksgiving Point Development
The debate over density in Lehi has also centered on the Thanksgiving Point transit-oriented development (TOD) proposal. The Thanksgiving Station TOD project involves 115 acres at Executive Parkway and Ashton Boulevard and includes 5,398 residential units, 11 acres of park and open space, nine acres for a school, 500,000 square feet of office space, 52,000 square feet for a church, and 300 hotel rooms.
While the developer requested over 5,000 residential units, the General Plan under consideration in late 2021 only planned for 1,000 new units at the site. Council members have expressed a preference for density that follows a structured, multi-phase plan that prioritizes infrastructure.
Councilman Chris Condie stated that the city should require specific triggers, such as the arrival of a grocery store, before allowing the development to expand past 2,000 units. Councilman Paul Hancock added that the goal is not the number of units, but ensuring the area is functional, noting that the area requires intervention to prevent it from failing.
Long-Term Growth Outlook
Planning Commissioner Greg Jackson, who moved to recommend the Thanksgiving Station proposal to the City Council in Nov. 2021, argued that the development was necessary to revitalize the area. Jackson noted that the status quo was unsustainable and that the presence of the FrontRunner train offered an opportunity for people to live and work near transit.
Jackson also warned that failing to manage growth effectively could shift the burden to neighboring communities. He suggested that pushing growth to locations like Eagle Mountain or Saratoga Springs could result in Lehi having to pay for roads used by thousands of daily commuters from those areas.
