SALT LAKE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
Room 326 of the City & County Building
451 South State Street, Salt Lake City, Utah
A roll is being kept of all who attended the Planning Commission Meeting. The meeting was called to order at 5:35:01 PM. Audio recordings of the Planning Commission meetings are retained in the Planning Office for an indefinite period of time.
Present for the Planning Commission meeting were: Commissioners Emily Drown, Michael Fife (Acting Chairperson), Bernardo Flores-Sahagun, Clark Ruttinger, Marie Taylor, Matthew Wirthlin and Mary Woodhead. Chairperson Angela Dean, Vice Chair Michael Gallegos, and Commissioner Lisa Adams were excused.
Planning Staff members present at the meeting were: Nick Norris, Planning Manager; Everett Joyce, Senior Planner; John Anderson, Principal Planner; Lynn Pace, City Attorney; and Michelle Moeller, Senior Secretary.
FIELD TRIP NOTES:
A field trip was held prior to the meeting. Planning Commissioners present were: Commissioners Michael Fife, Bernardo Flores-Sahagun, Clark Ruttinger and Marie Taylor. Staff members in attendance were Nick Norris, John Anderson and Everett Joyce. The following locations were visited:
1. Rowland Hall project: Staff gave an overview of the project and oriented the Planning Commission to the site. Staff went over zoning conditions imposed by City Council that required the sports fields to be located on the south side of the site.
The Commissioners asked the height of the some of the existing building on campus was.
Staff explained they were anywhere from 35 to 40 feet.
2. West Capitol Hill: Staff gave an overview and showed the location of the proposed changes.
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE August 8, 2012 MEETING 5:35:16 PM
MOTION
Commissioner Ruttinger made a motion to approve the August 8, 2012 minutes.
Commissioner Taylor seconded the motion. Commissioners Taylor and Ruttinger voted “aye”. Commissioners Drown, Flores-Sahagun, Wirthlin, and Woodhead, abstained from voting. The motion passed.
REPORT OF THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR 5:35:58 PM
Acting Chairperson Fife stated there was nothing to report at this time.
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR 5:36:00 PM
Mr. Wilford, Sommerkorn, Planning Director, reviewed the City Council’s approval of the rezone for the Capitol City’s project, by the 900 South Viaduct, with a limitation on height. He stated the City Council had an extensive discussion on the alcohol zoning issues and a resolution should hopefully come along soon. Mr. Sommerkorn stated the City Council also discussed accessory dwelling units and are close to making a decision on it as well. He stated the Commissioners would be receiving an invitation to the Utah League of City’s and Towns Planning day session.
West Capitol Hill Amendments –(PLNPCM2012-00462, 00463, 00464) Staff will brief the Planning Commission about several related zoning map amendments, Capitol Hill Master Plan amendments and a text amendment to the MU Mixed Use zoning district. The proposal would make the following changes:
• “General Commercial” in the area of 400 West between 600-800 North to “Mixed Use” to match the surrounding area;
• The “Medium Density Residential” designation on the west side of 300 West between 400 and 500 North would be changed to “Mixed Use”;
• The commercial property located on the northeast corner of 300 West and 300 North would be changed from “Medium Density Residential” to “Mixed Use.”
All petitions have been initiated by Mayor Becker and are part of analysis identifying zoning and master plan conflicts within the RDA project area. Staff is in the process of gathering public input but will provide an issue only briefing related to the proposed amendments. (Staff Contact: Michaela Oktay at 801-535-6003 michaela.oktay@slcgov.com or John Anderson at 801-535-7214 john.anderson@slcgov.com).
Mr. John Anderson, Principle Planner, reviewed the petition as presented in the Staff Report (located in the case file). He stated the petition would be brought before the Planning Commission in the next couple months for review and Public Comment.
Commissioner Wirthlin asked if the recommendation was to change all of the property to mixed use on Third West.
Mr. Anderson stated they wanted to change it on the west side because the entire block face would be mixed use or CB. He stated the Master Plan would be for Mixed Use. Mr. Anderson reviewed the reasoning behind changing the use and why it would not be changed in the Historic District on the east side.
PLNPCM2012-00271 Planned Development and PLNPCM2012-00272 Conditional Use: Rowland Hall is requesting Planned Development approval for phased development of a private middle and high school with supporting gymnasium and sport fields. The Applicant is also requesting Conditional Use approval for additional building height to exceed the height limit of 35 feet up to a maximum of 50 feet for proposed school campus structures located within the interior of the development. The subject property is located in the Institutional and Open Space Zoning Districts at approximately 1481 E Sunnyside Ave and is located in Council District 6, represented by Charlie Luke. (Staff contact: Everett Joyce at (801) 535-7930 or everett.joyce@slcgov.com).
Mr. Everett Joyce, Senior Planner, reviewed the petition as presented in the Staff Report (located in the case file). He stated it was Staff’s recommendation that the Planning Commission approve the petition with the conditions as listed in the Staff Report.
The Commissioners and Staff discussed the location of the entries to the property and the grade/build up along Sunnyside Avenue. Staff indicated the landscaping would be addressed and approved through the Planning Director.
Mr. Brad Jacobson, Architect, reviewed the need for possible extra height. He stated the building designs were currently at a conceptual stage and the height had not been finalized. Mr. Jacobsen stated the auditorium may need to be taller than the fifty feet to accommodate the acoustics and function of the building although it would probably be around the proposed fifty feet.
Mr. Steve Brozo, Design Workshop, reviewed the wall on Sunnyside Avenue, giving the dimensions, grade and safety aspects planned for the wall.
The Commissioners and Applicant discussed the highest point of the wall, the safety lighting on the trail and street lighting in the area. They discussed the landscaping for the area to allow for pedestrian access.
The Commissioners and Staff discussed the notification and whether or not the item would need to be re-noticed to allow for the additional height to be approved. It was determined that the item would need to be re-noticed if height over fifty feet were to be allowed.
Mr. Nick Norris, Planning Manager, reviewed the exceptions in the ordinance that allowed for additional height and the Planning Commissions ability to allow the additional height under those exceptions. He stated that from the staff perspective it was difficult to do a full analysis of a proposed height of up to seventy five feet when there was not an actual building plan.
Mr. Jacobson stated it may depend where that fifty feet was measured from due to the grade on the property.
Ms. Taylor asked if there was a way to guarantee the wall would not be covered in graffiti.
Mr. Brozo stated reviewed the landscaping and possible materials for the wall area that would help with deterring graffiti.
PUBLIC HEARING 6:07:21 PM
Acting Chairperson Fife opened the Public Hearing.
The following individuals spoke in opposition to the proposal: Mr. Steve Mason and Ms. Constance Crompton.
The following comments were made:
• Graffiti will be an issue
• Height of the wall would block the view from the homes
• Open space should not have been given to them for the project
• Height of the buildings would further block the view
Acting Chairperson Fife closed the Public Hearing.
DISCUSSION
Mr. Lynn Pace, City Attorney, reviewed the rezoning of the property, by the City Council, to institutional with a list of conditions. He asked Mr. Joyce to address what the conditions were.
Mr. Joyce stated there was a development agreement, the open space and cemetery trail were put in as a means to put the buildings farther back to protect views. He stated improvements to the Trans Valley trail at the front of the property were required and no nighttime activity or lighting for sporting events were conditions of the agreement.
Mr. Pace asked if there was a view protected from the northwest corner of the property.
Mr. Joyce stated that was the purpose of having the buildings setback farther.
Mr. Pace asked if there was a restriction regarding the institutional portion of the property having a minimum amount of open space.
Mr. Joyce stated the proposal met the open space requirements and the development agreement.
Commissioner Woodhead clarified that nothing with the additional height was inconsistent with the development agreement.
Mr. Joyce stated that was correct; there were no restrictions on building heights in the development agreement.
The Commissioners and Staff discussed the height of the buildings along Guardsman Street. Staff stated the area was zoned institutional and the maximum height was 75 feet.
Mr. Norris reminded the Commission that most of the properties along Guardsman were under University regulations and not subject to the local zoning regulations. He stated everything north of the school buildings would be exempt and could be higher than the zoning.
The Commission and Staff discussed the sloping of the properties that made building appear smaller from the east.
Commissioner Woodhead stated she sympathized with the neighbor’s concerns however, when the City Council changed the zoning and entered into the development agreement those issues were addressed. She stated the Planning Commission could not change that agreement. Commissioner Woodhead stated it was not a reason to reject the proposal but she would like to include the fifty foot height limit in the motion.
MOTION 6:15:57 PM
Commissioner Woodhead stated in regards to PLNPCM2012-00271 Planned Development and PLNPCM2012-00272 Conditional Use , based on the analysis and findings in the Staff Report, the testimony given and the Commissions discussion; she moved that the Planning Commission approve the request subject to the conditions in the Staff Report one through four.
Commissioner Taylor asked if materials or landscaping for the wall should be included in the motion.
Commissioner Woodhead stated the landscape plan would be approved by the Planning Director. She said she would agree to amend condition number two, to state that graffiti prevention be taken into account as the Planning Director considers the landscaping.
Commissioner Wirthlin seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.