Sandy residents near 825 E. 9085 South will see 86 townhomes built on the 7.15-acre site where Canyons School District runs its Technical Education Center.

The Sandy City Council voted 5-2 on Oct. 20 to approve the Canyon Gate development, Building Salt Lake first reported. The approval reverses the council's own Sept. 15 rejection of the same project, just 35 days earlier. Council Members Brooke Christensen and Stroud requested the reconsideration, according to the Oct. 20 meeting record.

What changed

The sticking point in September was rental restrictions. Under the old proposal, limits on renting applied only while the developer owned a unit. Once sold, the new owner could rent freely.

Sandy City Attorney Lynn Pace said the revised agreement writes a 20% rental cap into the complex's HOA covenants for five years after sale. Boyer can own up to 17 of the 86 units and either sell or rent them if sales are slow, but no more than 20% of the complex can be rentals during that window.

Tracy Cowdell, an attorney working with both Sandy and Boyer on the proposal, said the updated agreement represents the developer's final offer. Cowdell said he and Pace pressured Boyer to make concessions, telling the developer, "if you want this to be a yes, you have to give the council a darn good reason to revisit," according to Building Salt Lake's account of the Oct. 20 meeting.

Two dissenters

The council approved three ordinances to greenlight the project:

  • Rezone from single-family residential (R-1-8) to a planned unit development allowing up to 12 units per acre. Passed 5-2.
  • Development agreement with Boyer. Passed 5-2.
  • General plan amendment changing the land-use designation from Institutional to Medium Density Neighborhood. Passed 6-1.

Council Member Kris Nicholl voted no on all three. She said the process for reviving an already-rejected ordinance did not adequately notify residents. Council Member Cyndi Sharkey voted no on the rezone and development agreement but supported the general plan amendment.

A long road

The project first came before the council on July 14, when members tabled the rezone and directed staff to negotiate rental restrictions, the Sandy Journal reported. The council denied the proposal on Sept. 15 before reversing course in October.

Plans call for a mix of two- and three-story units, with taller homes along the south side of 9000 South. Access would come from Scirlein Drive and 9085 South.

Canyons School District announced in 2024 it would move its technical education programs to the former eBay campus in Draper. As we reported Oct. 21, the Canyons board recently approved the sale of the 9085 South property.