21 Oct Meeting Minutes October 4, 2017
Sugar House Community Council Trustee Meeting Minutes
Trustees Present: Camron Anderson, Sally Barraclough, Amy Barry, Landon Clark, Mary Clark, Melanie Heath, Deb Henry, Topher Horman, Michael G. Kavanagh, Benny Keele, Will Kocher, Susan Koelliker, Larry Migliaccio, Dave Mulder, Benjamin Sessions, Judi Short, Chris Sveiven, Rawlins Young
Trustees Excused: Mike Bagley, Steve Kirkegaard, Eric Mcgill, Dayna McKee, Jason Smurthwaite, Shane Stroud, George Sumner
Trustees Unexcused: Laurie Bray, Tina Escobar-Taft, Lucy Hawes, Sue Ann Jones,
The meeting was called to order at 7:02 pm by Landon Clark, Chair SHCC
Motion to approve last month’s minutes was made by Dave, seconded by Larry. The motion passed unanimously with no corrections to the minutes.
Chair Announcements: Landon Clark
Landon thanked Legacy Village for allowing us to hold our October meeting in their meeting room.
SHCC is hosting a City Council debate at Westminster College in the Gore Auditorium tomorrow. Meet and Greet starts at 6:30pm with the debate following at 7:00pm.
There was a ground breaking ceremony for the Westport Capital ShopKo block project. The project is called Park Ave and is expected to be completed by mid 2019.
Announcements for items not on the agenda:
Susan Sandack from Friends of Fairmont Park announced that there will be a training session for those interested on communication and building relations with the homeless who use Fairmont Park. The training will be conducted by SLC Police Officer Cooper Landbatter, on Wed Oct 11th at 6pm at the pavilion near the aquatic center. Everyone was invited to attend.
Judi Short presented a motion that we donate $25 to the Alzheimer Assoc. in honor of Barbara Green who passed away in September. Barbara was a trustee on the SHCC for many years. The motion was seconded by Amy and passed unanimously.
SHCC Board Elections: Benny Keele, Election Committee Chair
The election started at 7:16pm. Benny and Micheal G. distributed ballots.
Secretary Report: Sally Barraclough
There were no new trustee petitions to consider. Larry Migliaccio submitted a petition to renew as a trustee from the Dilworth area. Sally moved to accept the petition, Judi seconded and the motion was approved unanimously.
Sally thanked Amy for writing and posting the September minutes in her absence last month.
Treasurer Report: Larry Migliaccio
The account has a $6,502 balance. There was 26 cents in interest, and $9 in donations. There were no expenses.
Committee Reports:
Land Use and Zoning: Judi Short
The following major zoning changes are potentially going to be adopted by the City Council before the end of the year. You can attend and speak at the following public hearings, some you can still comment on Open City Hall, you can attend the City Council where these may formally be adopted, and you can send them comments to council.comments@slcgov.com. (all these dates are subject to change, but we know not much will happen in December, so all will be probably adopted by the end of November.)
Accessory Dwelling Units
- Work Session (follow-up discussion) Tuesday, September 5, 2017
- Public Hearing #1 Tuesday, September 19, 2017
- Public Hearing #2 Tuesday, October 3, 2017
- Briefing Work Session October 17, 2017
- Potential Public Hearing November 21, 2017
- Potential Adoption Tuesday, Nov 28, 2017
Link to the proposed zoning code: http://www.slcgov.com/opencityhall
Growing SLC: A 5-year Housing Plan http://www.slcgov.com/opencityhall#peak_democracy (look under closed topics)
- Public Hearing Tuesday October 17, 2017
- Public Hearing Tuesday November 21, 2017
- Potential Adoption Tuesday November 28, 2017
21 and 21 Small Area Master Plan
Public Hearing October 17, 2017
Potential Adoption November 21, 2017
http://www.slcgov.com/opencityhall#peak_democracy
Transit Master Plan http://www.slcgov.com/opencityhall#peak_democracy
Potential Adoption October 17, 2017
1316 Downington project has been pulled for now. This parcel has 2 duplexes on it which are in complete disrepair. The intent is to build 3 large townhouse on the property. They are asking for a rezone, but now they plan to ask for a rezone and a Planned Unit Development, which means we will see actual drawings of what they want to build the next time we will see it.
1701 S 1100 East Costume Building Planned development was approved Sept 13 by Planning Commission, without the water towers that we all liked so much.
PARK AVENUE – The property formerly known as Shopko
80 Park is U Health with 170,000 square feet
Park 60 is the Class A office building with 150,000 square feet
40 Park is the 208 unit multi family building
There will also be an art gallery and retail space.
Anticipated 700 employees.
The project will reconnect Stringham Avenue between Highland and 1300 East. So. we can hold their feet to the fire to have the street signs say Stringham Avenue.
2855 Highland Drive townhouse project is starting to look good,
Urbana on 21st
The utility connections are finished, they will build a wooden walkway, and the right of way will be restored.
Fairmont Park received CIP Funding for:
- Construction for a South Loop Trail
- Lighting for the Trail and Pickleball Courts
- A water station and double gates for the dog park.
The site of the proposed Dixon Building 2188 Highland Drive. The site is now an active permitted construction site, vis-a-vis the lease agreement between Meacham and Boulder Ventures. Landscaping, per the bond, was still considered but then ruled out do to the belief that it would soon be destroyed anyway by all of the adjacent construction activity. The lease by Boulder will run out late spring/early summer next year, at which time the landscaping will be required to be installed by Meacham.
WE ALWAYS HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHY WE KEEP BUILDING APARTMENTS.
“This low vacancy is fueling a record-breaking level of construction of new apartment buildings,” said Kip Paul, executive director of Investment Sales at Cushman & Wakefield’s Salt Lake office, in a statement. “This begs the question of whether the market is over-building. The data shows that even with previously unmatched levels of development, the demand is such that there is no sign of oversupply in the foreseeable future and property investment, particularly in midsize communities is particularly attractive to buyers.”
With low rental vacancies, rents are rising quickly. According to the Cushman and Wakefield report, rents in the Salt Lake Metro increased 6.5 percent in the past year. Rents for one-bedroom apartments have seen the largest increase. Between 2016 and 2017 rents for one-bedroom units grew by 8.8 percent, compared to 5.7 percent for studio units and 6.4 percent for two-bedroom units.
The current vacancy rate also shows a growing demand for two and three-bedroom apartments. Currently, the vacancy rate for two-bedroom units is 2.7 percent while the vacancy rate for three-bedroom units is at 2.1 percent. The vacancy rate for studio and one-bedroom apartments is higher at 4.9 and 4.4 percent respectively.
According to the report, the demand for multifamily housing is greatest in Sugar House and in and around downtown Salt Lake with both neighborhoods at or near 100 percent occupancy.
The next meeting of the LUZ Committee will be Monday, October 16 at the Forest Dale Club House 2375 S 900 East at 6 p.m. So far, we have no agenda items.
Transportation: Larry Migliaccio
The next meeting of the Transportation Committee will be Monday, October 16 at the Forest Dale Club House 2375 S 900 East at 7 p.m.
Deb Henry has invited Alex Kragun, UTA Board Member representing SLC, to discuss UTA issues. It should be informative. Bring your questions and soapbox.
Parks, Open Space, and Trails: Sally Barraclough
The next meeting of the POST Committee will be Monday October 16 at the Forest Dale Club House 2375 S 900 East at 5 p.m.
Agenda to be announced.
Outreach Committee: Melanie Heath
Melanie announced that the SH Chamber of Commerce will not be sponsoring the 4th of July Fireworks or the 4th of July Street Fair. They are hoping that the SH Community Council will take over the two events. Melanie took a straw pole vote to measure the interest among the trustees for running the events, or the possibility of doing something different. 3 people were in favor of doing a combination event, slightly more were interested in a Street Fair only event. More discussion will follow at a later date.
Library Update: Cherie Kofoed, Acting Branch Manager
They are planning a partial “re-open” of the upper level only of the Sprague Library. It is scheduled for mid October. It will be 10-12 weeks before the lower level is opened because the elevator has to be completely replaced. The existing elevator is old and they were unable to find replacement parts.
The upper level will have five computers, provide express services, and the reading room but the downstairs meeting room will not be ready until the elevator is replaced hopefully by mid November.
Sugar House Farmers Market – Melo Flores, board member
Melo announced that the third annual Sugar House Winter Carnival will be held on Saturday, Nov 25th from 10am-4pm. Entry to the event is free. There is a Facebook page called Sugar House Winter Carnival. The Santa Shack will open on that day on the Sugarmont Plaza. There will be activities on Wilmington Flats Plaza and in the Legacy Village meeting room. Santa and Elsa will arrive by the S-Line and a Fire Engine.
The last Farmer’s Market will be Wednesday, Oct 25th and the Winter Market starts in November on Wilmington Plaza.
SH Construction Updates – Bill Knowles SLC Ombudsman
Boulder Ventures – They are working on water hook ups to the city system. They are running water quality tests for the fourth time. After the tests are clear they will close the trenches on McClelland St.
Meacham Property – They have been given an extension on the landscape bond because the parcel is currently being leased to Boulder Ventures for a construction staging area. After that project is finished the bond will be enforced, likely late spring or early summer.
Spring Hill Suites – Construction will start in January. Wilmington has been temporarily resurfaced to get through the winter. There will be a rebuild of the street after Spring Hill Suites construction is finished.
John Gardner project on 10th East and 21st South – The utilities are hooked up. Calls were made to the contractor to clean up traffic control and provide a covered walkway on 21st South. SLC Transportation engineers were involved in enforcing requirements that were agreed to during the permitting process.
CVS Pharmacy – Water hookups will be done after 9pm rather than closing lanes during the day.
7th East – The bike shop near the Trax Station will be demolished to make way for a 93 residential unit building. It will have retail stores on the ground level and the bike shop will move back into a larger space than they currently occupy. The bike shop is temporarily being located in the old DI building in Sugar House.
Bill recognized SLC Streets Department for the temporary repaving of Wilmington and also 21st South. They are both scheduled for rebuilds in 2 years but it was decided that nether street can go through 2 more winters without some repaving.
Hawk Watch – Joseph Dane, Development and Marketing Director
Hawk Watch is located on 9th East near the S-Line. They are a nonprofit organization formed 30 years ago. They work to protect birds of prey through conservation and education. They conduct bird counts seasonally and monitor breeding habits and environmental hazards. They have six birds that they take to public meetings to educate about the importance of protecting riparian open spaces. Their next event is scheduled for Oct 26th at REI.
Election closed at 8:14pm. Benny collected the ballots for tabulation.
Public Utilities 101 – Jesse Steward, Deputy Director SLC Dept of Public Utilities
Public Utilities is responsible for the infrastructure for water, sewer, storm water and street lights. They handle the movement of all waters that come from the mountain ridges, through the city, and eventually out to the Jordan River. They are in charge of maintaining the water pipelines, treatment plants, and water storage tanks. They are also involved in making sure we have enough water for future generations.
They are charged with maintaining the safety of our culinary water to safeguard the public from disease. The first step is to provide protection of our source water. Culinary water quality is regulated by SL County Health, the State Division of Drinking Water , and the EPA. Public Utilities collects over 180 samples a month, testing for a variety of contaminates.
Tonight’s discussion focused on drinking water. Jesse will be invited to a future meeting to talk about the city sewer system.
Green Bike Program – Ben Bolte, Founder and Executive Director
ben@greenbikeslc.org
55% of our regional air pollution comes from motor vehicles. The purpose of the Green Bike Program is to provide a convenient, low cost transportation option to help reduce air pollution and increase community health and well-being. Bike share programs also reduce parking demand and traffic congestion, and extend the roadway life cycle.
Last year they had 30,000 people ride 294 bikes 141,000 times. They bought 32,000 passes from 32 stations over a 9 month period. Each bike averaged 479 rides which is about 2 rides per bike per day. The bikes took 817,000 vehicle miles off the roads. This includes new transit capture because people are more likely to take the bus or Trax if there is a bike available for first mile / last mile of their commute. The bikes removed 741,000 lbs of CO2 and riders burned 15,000,000 calories which is 56,000 slices of pizza!
Stations vary in size from 20 bikes to 30 bikes. While some riders are using the bikes for recreation, the focus is on work commuters so station density is very important. The goal is to have a station every block and a half. Many rides are one-way, so the Green Bike program has employees who are paid a “living wage” who redistribute bikes around to balance the number of bikes available at each station. They also maintain and clean the stations, and conduct bike safety inspections. The bikes and stations get cleaned and inspected twice a month.
The Green Bike Program is a non-profit 501 (c) 3 that has sponsors that provide the majority of the operating revenue. The riders only provide about 5% of the operating revenue through purchases. The program has 2.7 million dollars in federal transit funds to expand the program through 2023, so they are looking at the possibility of adding stations in Sugar House in the future. Each station costs $25,000 per year to get started.
City Council Update – Lisa Adams, District 7
lisa.adams@slcgov.com
The capital improvement project (CIP) budget was adopted at last night’s city council meeting. Fairmont Park dog park, along with the other off-leash dog parks will be getting improvements including benches, dog water fountains, crushed surface improvements, agility courses, signage, and double gate fences. Fairmont Park will also get lighting and safety improvements on multi use trails, fields, pickleball and tennis courts. They will also add lighting on the southern end of the park, and adding two more volley ball courts.
They also approved CIP funds for a pedestrian bridge at Backman Elementary School which is located in the north west area of SLC.
Lisa did a ride along with the bicycle patrol along the stream in Sugar House Park, through the Draw and Hidden Hollow, Fairmont Park, all the way to Elizabeth Sherman Park looking for signs of homeless camping. The only signs of camping they found was in Elizabeth Sherman.
On this Friday there will be a Homeless Connect event at the Salt Palace to help provide homeless with services. The event will have free health checks, resources for housing, and job opportunity counseling.
The council is working on the accessory dwelling unit ordinance. There will be a work session on Oct 17th regarding boundaries for ADUs. They recognize that they can enhance a neighborhood but they are not right for every neighborhood.
The council is also discussing funding for the airport Trax extension. It will cost 68 million dollars to bring the train up to the second level of the new airport terminal. This is the most convenient location for travelers. It will cost 15-18 million dollars to bring it into the ground level. A decision will be made soon on which option to fund. The money might be raised by increasing rental car fees. Rental car fees can only be spent on airport improvements.
The council has asked for a street survey from the public utilities department so they can start to plan and budget for street resurfacing and long term improvements. The streets department needs 34-36 million per year to repair and maintain our streets. Right now there is only 8-11 million in the budget for streets, so they are looking for other sources of funding.
Mayor’s Office Report – Nate Salazar, SLC Community Liaison
nate.salazar@slcgov.com
The mayor’s office has distributed information regarding DACA and Immigration issues. They have also complied a list of all the restaurants and markets that are owned and operated by immigrants in SLC.
The mayor’s office has named a new Transportation Director. His name is Jon Larsen and he has been working for the Wasatch Front Regional Council. He starts his new position on Oct 9th.
Election Results – Benny Keele, Election Committee Chair
2017-2018 Executive Board
Landon Clark, Chair
Judi Short, 1st Vice Chair
Will Kocher, 2nd Vice Chair
Benjamin Sessions, Treasurer
Sally Barraclough, Secretary
Meeting adjourned at 9:20pm
