SALT LAKE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION
451 South State Street, Room 126
Present from the Planning Commission were Chairperson Richard J. Howa, Ralph Becker, Cindy Cromer, Kimball Young, Diana Kirk, Judi Short, Ann Roberts and Gilbert Iker. Ralph Neilson, Lynn Beckstead and Mr. McRea were excused.
Present from the Planning Staff were Planning Director William T. Wright, Brent Wilde, Doug Dansie, Cheri Coffey and Katia Pace.
A roll is being kept with the minutes of all who attended the Planning Commission meeting. Mr. Howa called the meeting to order at 4:30 p.m. The minutes are presented in agenda order, not necessarily as cases were heard at the Planning Commission meeting. Tapes of the meeting will be retained in the Planning Office for a period of one year after which they will be erased.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Ms. Kirk moved to approve the minutes of January 12 and February 2, 1995 as presented. Mr. Becker seconded the motion. Ms. Short, Mr. Young, Ms. Kirk, Mr. Becker, Ms. Cromer and Mr. Iker voted "Aye." Ms. Roberts, Mr. Neilson, Mr. Beckstead and Mr. McRea were not present. Mr. Howa, as chair, did not vote. The motion passed.
PETITIONS INFORMAL HEARING- Petition No. 400-94-111 by Richard Fetzer for Jefferson lmproven1ent Company requesting Salt Lake City to close a portion of Front Street abutting 1436 South West Temple Street and sell the property to the petitioner at fair market value.
Ms. Katia Pace presented the staff report outlining the major issues of the case and the staff recommendation, a copy of which is filed with the minutes.
Mr. Richard Fetzer, the petitioner, was present for this portion of the Planning Commission. He stated that they would like to proceed with their plans as quickly as possible. He requested the Planning Commission approve this request.
Ms. Cromer asked if there was any way the house could be relocated.
Mr. Fetzer said they would be happy to let it be moved if someone was interested is doing that but added that the addition on the house was like a lean-to and would not be stable enough to be moved.
Mr. Howa opened the hearing to the public and asked if anyone wished to address the Planning Commission. Upon receiving no response he closed the hearing and opened it for Planning Commission discussion.
Ms. Kirk moved to approve Petition No. 400-94-111 based on the analysis and subject to the conditions listed in the staff report. Mr. Young seconded the motion. Ms. Short, Mr. Young, Ms. Kirk, Mr. Becker, Ms. Cromer and Mr. Iker voted "Aye”. Ms. Roberts, Mr. Neilson, Mr. Beckstead and Mr. McRea were not present. Mr. Howa, as chair, did not vote. The motion passed.
PLANNING ISSUES
Zoning Ordinance Rewrite
Copies of the latest strike and bold version of the Zoning Ordinance draft were handed out to all Planning Commission members. Mr. Howa stated that it was the intent of the Planning Commission to finalize their recommendation on the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite project to the City Council by the end of this meeting.
Several lengthy discussions occurred covering the various areas of the Zoning Ordinance draft. Changes that had been made since the last review were pointed out to the Planning Commission by Mr. Wright and Mr. Wilde. Sections the Planning Commission had less familiarity with were reviewed in detail, page by page.
Mr. Wright explained the changes the staff had made to the Residential/Mixed-Use zoning district and recommended the Planning Commission adopt the zone as presented in the draft before them dated February 16, 1995. Mr. Wright stated that the staff had worked on the "RIMU" zone and developed what they felt was a good compromise balancing both residential and commercial issues.
Mr. Becker expressed concern that the proposed phasing of the implementation of the zone would cause a flooding of commercial development applications during the transition period that would go against the long term plans for the east downtown area.
Mr. Wright stated that the staff would be more than willing to support shortening the phasing from two years to one year if the Planning Commission so desired. Mr. Wright stated that one year would provide ample opportunity for property owners to make arrangements to develop their property. Mr. Wright said he did not want people to look back in twenty years and say that the two-year phasing had destroyed the east downtown area relative to development. He added that he believed economics would dictate how the market developed.
Mr. Howa pointed out that there really was not a significant amount of vacant land in this area.
Mr. Becker asked how the determination for the 50/50 ratio of the commercial/residential uses had been made. Mr. Wright stated that they had extensively analyzed several different scenarios to arrive at the 50/50 split.
Mr. Young moved to adopt the Residential/Mixed-Use "RIMU" zoning district as presented by the Planning Staff at this meeting with an additional request that the City Council address different incentives including financial incentives to increase the residential components of this district. Mr. Becker seconded the motion.
Ms. Short asked if the motion would leave the phasing period at two years. Mr. Young responded in the affirmative. Ms. Short, Ms. Roberts, Mr. Young, Ms. Kirk, Mr. Becker, and Mr. Iker voted "Aye." Mr. Neilson, Ms. Cromer, Mr. Beckstead and Mr. McRea were not present. Mr. Howa, as chair, did not vote. The motion passed.
Mr. Wilde pointed out the hand out dealing with master plan compliance which states that "The Zoning Ordinance shall comply with the general policies and recommendations outlined in the applicable City master plans and any change in zoning must comply with the applicable master plan or master plan amendment." Mr. Wilde requested the Planning Commission adopt this section of the proposed ordinance. Ms. Short moved to adopt page 1-1-2 dealing with master plan compliance. Ms. Kirk seconded the motion. Ms. Short, Ms. Roberts, Mr. Young, Ms. Kirk, Mr. Becker, and Mr. Iker voted "Aye." Mr. Neilson, Ms. Cromer, Mr. Beckstead and Mr. McRea were not present. Mr. Howa, as chair, did not vote. The motion passed.
Mr. Wright and Mr. Wilde outlined Chapter 17 of the proposed ordinance dealing with overlay districts including the Historical Preservation Overlay District, the Transitional Overlay District, the Airport Flight Path Protection Overlay District, the Lowland Conservancy Overlay District, the Aquifer Recharge Protection Overlay District, and the Landfill Overlay District. Following a discussion on these districts Mr. Young moved to adopt Chapter 17 as presented in the draft dated February 16, 1995. Ms. Kirk seconded the motion. Ms. Short, Ms. Roberts, Mr. Young, Ms. Kirk, Mr. Becker, and Mr. Iker voted "Aye." Mr. Neilson, Ms. Cromer, Mr. Beckstead and Mr. McRea were not present. Mr. Howa, as chair, did not vote. The motion passed.
A lengthy discussion followed on various portions of the entire ordinance as Mr. Wilde and Mr. Wright answered questions and explained concepts which had been previously discussed throughout the course of the public hearings and Planning Commission workshops on the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite Project.
Mr. Becker then moved to adopt the entire proposed Zoning Ordinance as amended by the Planning Staff and forward that recommendation to the City Council with a special request that they consider this ordinance as expeditiously as possible in order to get it through by their deadline of April 14,1995. Mr. Becker further moved that the staff be permitted to make any necessary refinements to this ordinance and bring anything back to the Planning Commission that might need Planning Commission action. Mr. Young seconded the motion.
Mr. Becker stated that the Planning Staff had done a phenomenal job on a Herculean project. Mr. Becker also pointed out the document would need to be refined over the next few years like any major legislative action.
Mr. Howa stated that the City had not provided enough money to do the job required on the rewrite.
Mr. Becker pointed out that the staff had addressed all of the public comments. Ms. Short, Ms. Roberts, Mr. Young, Ms. Kirk, Mr. Becker, and Mr. Iker voted "Aye". Mr. Neilson, Ms. Cromer, Mr. Beckstead and Mr. McRea were not present. Mr. Howa, as chair, did not vote. The motion passed.
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 6:30 p.m.