What is Prop 5?
Proposition 5 will allow the construction of a student housing village that will provide 1,600 beds to the growing community of UVU students by allowing a rezone. Orem city passed Ordinance No. O- 2018-0005 to rezone a residential area consisting of 9.58 acres to the PD-48 student housing zone earlier this year, but the rezone is up to the voters to decide. If the proposition does not pass by Orem resident voters, the zoning will cease.
Where is the property located and what used to be there?
The Palos Verdes area used to be a 30-home neighborhood. It is currently an empty lot that is located across the street from Lakeridge Jr. High School. The student housing developers, PEG Development and Woodbury Corporation, demolished the homes before gaining zoning approval from Orem.
Who can live in the housing development and is it affordable to live there?
Single UVU students or those affiliated with the university can reside in the Palos Verdes student housing. The housing is not BYU approved housing. The cost of living is estimated from $432-$553 per person depending on the type of room, some being private room and others being shared. To help compared pricing to surrounding student housing, Campus Drive Student Housing has created a breakdown of other student housing rates.
What it means for students
An increase in student housing will aid the many single students that attend UVU. There will be an additional 1,600 beds within walking distance from campus with the completion of this project. With only 3,300 current beds near UVU meant for students, the need for student housing is pressing. According to the university, UVU surrounds 90 percent of the Palos Verdes property.
What it means for Orem residents
Some Orem residents do not support the proposition. Let Orem Vote is a “Utah political issue committee dedicated to giving the citizens of Orem a stronger voice,” according to its website. The focus is to unite Orem voters to keep the city a family-oriented space. This group opposes the rezoning, and its members argue that high-density student housing will cause traffic congestion and other issues. According to its Facebook page, the rezone will potentially lower real estate value of surrounding homes, increase street parking around the neighborhood and cause safety issues as the traffic will increase near a junior high school. Developers have said that the student housing will lower traffic as more UVU students will not need to commute to campus.
