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SALT LAKE CITY — Despite a scathing review from the city's planning commission, it appears Salt Lake City is poised to vote this month on proposed zoning changes tied to the major "sports, entertainment, culture and convention district" surrounding a remodeled Delta Center after some additional tweaks Tuesday.
A draft ordinance revising the D4-Secondary Central Business District to accommodate the plan is expected to be ready for a potential vote on Aug. 27, which would match a deadline imposed for the vote.
It follows a public hearing the Salt Lake City Council held Tuesday, which generated all sorts of views, yet again, on the Smith Entertainment Group's plan to accommodate changes for the home of the NBA's Utah Jazz and NHL's Utah Hockey Club.
New adjustments to D4
The Council met Tuesday afternoon to hash out some remaining concerns with the proposed zoning change with city planners. They decided there would be a maximum 8-foot setback for most buildings in the zone, but no setback limit by plazas and "other similar spaces." Off-premise signage, or billboards, aren't allowed; however, Smith could advertise Delta Center events anywhere in the district, such as at Abravanel Hall.
The council also agreed terms about building height next to properties like the Japanese Church of Christ will be included in a final development agreement. It is a "high priority" that must be included, said Salt Lake City Councilman Darin Mano.
However, the biggest change was an adjustment calling for a design review for any building above 200 feet instead of the previously listed 75 feet. Smith Entertainment Group had requested 250 feet.
Buildings within the zone would still be capped at 600 feet, 150 feet taller than the existing tallest building in the state, but the city revised its primary downtown zone last year to lift building height limits east of the proposed district.
Salt Lake City Council Chairwoman Victoria Petro said she doesn't want to overwhelm the Salt Lake City Planning Commission with projects in one area of the city more than others. This adjustment, she argued, would have them focus on the likely towers that could exist within the project area instead of buildings that won't change the skyline much because they'd blend in with many of the other downtown buildings.
"We have an entire city to build and pay attention to, not just one district," she said.
The Council agreed, but Bree Scheer, a member of the planning commission, did not. Scheer doubled down on the planning commission's opposition to the zoning changes during the public hearing, explaining that the commission's decision boiled down to transparency.
While she said the plan could turn into a good downtown investment, increasing the building height review threshold could eliminate any public process since most buildings would not need any review through a wide-ranging zone definition.
"What this zoning amendment does is take the whole process out of the public sphere," she said. "This amendment freely allows every use that (Smith) may ever want to propose."
Mixed views
Others who attended the meeting sounded off on the proposed sign regulations and voiced concerns about impacts on historic properties east of the arena. Some also supported taller building heights to increase housing, given the city's housing affordability concerns and the potential that has to improve ground-floor businesses in mixed-use properties.
Damon Talbot said he's generally "excited" about the proposed district, saying it could bring a "new vibrancy" to downtown. However, he also said he believes the planning commission should be more involved in the process instead of giving Smith carte blanche.
"Should we just let them do whatever they want? That's kind of where I think this zoning is going," he said.
The meeting also drew in residents from the Utah Hockey Club's previous home. Andrew Marwick, of Glendale, Arizona, made the trip north to express his concerns with the team after experiences with its previous owner, Alex Meruelo.
Meruelo went through many attempts to get public financing to build a sports and entertainment district for the Arizona Coyotes. All of those efforts fell through, especially after Tempe, Arizona, voters rejected a proposed tax tied to the $2.3 billion project in 2023.
The National Hockey League eventually stepped in and facilitated the team's sale to Smith in April.
"Don't make the mistakes Glendale made," said Marwick, adding that the city cut spending on libraries, parks and emergency services to favor efforts tied to the Coyotes.
The next steps
It's unclear if the feedback from Tuesday's meeting will shift any final zoning changes before a possible vote on Aug. 27.
The Salt Lake City Council approved a participation agreement with Smith Entertainment Group on a plan last month. The agreement is expected to be delivered to a state committee as early as this week for review. The state board will approve, reject or request that changes be made within 30 days after it's officially sent from the city.
The city will have to finalize the agreement after the state weighs in. The City Council also has until the end of this year to approve a request for a 0.5% sales tax increase, which would generate funds over the next 30 years to help Smith Entertainment Group repay up to $900 million in bonds it plans to seek to carry out the project.
"This is one more step in this process that feels super accelerated and — I think for all parties involved — very stressful at times, but I'm excited for — hopefully — what this means for downtown," Mano said.
