Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
- Salt Lake City debates rezoning nearly 100 acres in the Fairpark area for mixed-use development and potentially an MLB stadium.
- Supporters cite economic benefits, while critics fear displacement and lack of safeguards if the plans fall apart.
- The Salt Lake City Council plans to hold another public hearing before voting on the measure.
SALT LAKE CITY — Several residents, business owners and other groups say the plan to drastically rezone nearly 100 acres of land in the Fairpark neighborhood is a home run, but some are also crying foul.
Salt Lake City leaders, on the other hand, decided to hold off on any decisions while they work to finalize the proposed new zone, voting to hold a second public hearing on the matter after inviting residents to step up to the plate and drive in their thoughts on the plan Tuesday night.
"Whatever happens there is going to be great, but we need to make sure that it's not only for some but it fits in with the community," said Salt Lake City Councilman Alejandro Puy, whose district includes the project area.
The proposal measure comes from this year's HB562, which gained attention because it created the framework for an MLB franchise owner — likely the Larry H. Miller Company — to receive up to $900 million in state funds should Utah land an MLB team by mid-2032.
However, it also set up the new Utah Fairpark Area Investment and Restoration District and requires Salt Lake City to reach an agreement with the Miller Company over zoning plans on the 93 acres of land that Miller controls from the Jordan River to Redwood Road and North Temple to I-80.
The plan would allow for a stadium, as well as mixed-use developments and building heights up to 400 feet.
"We have close to 100 contiguous acres and "(we're looking) to provide a zone that really allows for great urban design, great master planning and placemaking to help build upon the west side," Brad Holmes, president of Larry H. Miller Real Estate, said in a presentation to the City Council last week.
Any building above 200 feet would require a design review from the city, as well as additional clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration. Other FAA requirements are also outlined because of the area's proximity to the Salt Lake City International Airport.
The land essentially falls into state control if an agreement isn't reached by the end of the year.
Mixed feedback
Support poured in from multiple organizations on Tuesday, especially from the local business community. Lucy Cardenas and Bill Coker, the husband-and-wife duo that co-owns the popular restaurant Red Iguana within five blocks of the zone's eastern boundary, said the proposal could help draw more businesses back to the west side.
"I have been waiting for dynamic businesses to move into my neighborhood. I want to walk and feel proud of my neighborhood," Cardenas said, adding she has fond memories of the "vital" businesses that once ran along North Temple and 600 North during the 1960s and 1970s.
Soon after, a group representing members of the Utah Carpenters Local Union 801 stood up in the gallery as Calvin Fors also spoke up in favor of the plan, asserting that the plan would create more work for the construction teams doing the labor to build out the city.
Other supporters said they believe it could open up new opportunities, including much-needed rehabilitation of the Jordan River.
Yet, some see flaws in the zoning measure. Some said it could displace low-income residents and tear apart the city's diverse west side. Resident Joshua Stewart came to the meeting to call for more affordable housing and three-or-more-bedroom units within zoning, saying it could help families remain in the city when it has struggled to keep some schools open with a drop in student enrollment.
The Salt Lake City Planning Commission voted last month to give the plan a positive recommendation, but with 11 suggested conditions, including a request that at least 10% of total housing be dedicated to affordable housing.
Two members of the commission spoke out with concerns they still have with the proposed plan on Tuesday, warning that there aren't many safeguards should the MLB plan fizzle or the Millers sell the land to anyone else who has a different vision for the area.
"While the vision is great, the zoning is very, very thin," said Salt Lake City planning commissioner Brian Scott. "It basically just allows everything."
A delayed decision
The City Council ultimately opted to take the hearing to extra innings, voting to continue it to another date. It wasn't immediately clear when the discussion would continue, but the council meets again on Dec. 3 and Dec. 10, when it could make a final vote.
Puy, who proposed the motion, told KSL.com that holding another meeting allows the city to collect more feedback and more time to negotiate a deal. The two sides have met regularly in recent weeks, even hammering out questions on open space requirements, street design standards and design review thresholds earlier Tuesday.
Some of the concerns — such as affordable housing — could be hashed out in a future development agreement between the city and Miller Company instead of going toward the zoning requirements. That's something the city typically pushes for in all new development projects.
However, those types of provisions are likely off the table if a rezoning agreement isn't reached by Dec. 31 because the city would essentially have no control over the land.
It's a scenario Puy said the city is working to avoid.
"If we can't reach an agreement, it's not because the city didn't try," he said. "We were definitely at the table; (the Miller Company) is also at the table — hopefully we can get it done."
