OGDEN — An area that has long been used for industrial and manufacturing purposes is now zoned for business, a move the city says will help area businesses avoid red tape in the future.
The city council has unanimously adopted an ordinance to rezone two sections of land adjacent to Wall Avenue, changing it from a manufacturing M-1 zone to a commercial C-3 zone.
The properties included in the rezone sit along the east side of Wall Avenue between 1302 South and 1590 South and along the west side of Wall between 1401 South and 1483 South.
City Planning Manager Greg Montgomery said the properties in the rezone area are already better suited for commercial uses and their use and any subsequent expansion will be better facilitated by the commercial zone change.
The rezone affects 16 properties along the Wall Avenue corridor, ranging from restaurants and a thrift store to an auto repair shop and a plumbing supply store.
The area has been in transition in recent years, with activity and traffic increasing because of the development of the WinCo Foods store and a Petco Animal Supplies store at 12th Street and Wall Avenue.
The city has already seen an increased interest in existing buildings along that particular stretch of Wall, Montgomery said, and there is currently a permit to improve the Moyes Glass Building at 15th Street and Wall.
Montgomery said most of the businesses in the rezone area are expanding and may want to further expand their operations in the future.
Because the area is now rezoned, Montgomery said, any future expansion will not require additional action from the planning commission or the city council.
Delaney Stephens, who owns property in the area and petitioned the city for the rezoning, said the change updates the law to conform with how much of the land is already being used.
“Most everyone I talked to thought it was zoned for commercial,” he said. “This will make things easier for the business owners along there.”
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