SH LUZ REPORT 2022 NOV

SH LUZ REPORT 2022 NOV

On October 18, the Salt Lake City Council adopted several zoning text amendments that are important for all of us.  You have probably read about them in the newsletter or my land use reports before, because text amendments take time to write, gather feedback from the community, and finalize so they can be approved.

The first was Off-Street Parking This is a big update of the SLC regulations for off-street parking, including minimum and maximum number of stalls required/allowed; permitted alternatives to off-street parking requirement; and parking lot design, access and dimensional standards. For residential parcels, they have pretty much done away with any requirement to park a car on a parcel, instead allowing it to be parked on the street. This is to encourage infill development and redevelopment, to be simpler and more user-friendly, modernize to reflect best-practices and current market trends for parking. and implement “context-based” parking.  Here is a link to what was passed.

The second was the RMF-30 Low-Density Multi-Family Residential District. The purpose of the changes is aimed at removing barriers to housing development, making it easier to construct multi-family housing and potentially create more affordable options for residents in the city.  The Council included a 180-day waiting period for the changes to the RMF-30 zoning district to go into effect while the city continues working on efforts to address gentrification and displacement.  You can read about this zone here.  We will continue to work with the Council on the housing mitigation plan over the next six months.

The third text amendment that was approved was Shared Housing (or SRO). The City Council expanded where these would be allowed. A residential dwelling facility containing individual, self-contained, dwelling units none of which may exceed five hundred (500) square feet in size. A building, or portion thereof, that contains units designated for residential purposes. Each unit consists of one combined living and sleeping room, and may contain either a kitchen or a separate private bathroom, but not both. Whichever amenity is not contained within the individual unit, the kitchen or bathroom, shall be provided as a common facility within the same structure, to be shared with the tenants of other SRO units. An SRO may include an office for the purpose of managing the SRO units and common facilities, and/or one self-contained dwelling unit with kitchen and bathroom facilities for a caretaker. The SRO Dwelling use shall be subject to the same lot and bulk requirements as the Multi-Family Dwelling.  You can read the details here.

KUM and GO 2111 S 13th East – The city is still waiting for the next iteration of the plans, and then it will go to the Planning Commission, probably November or December.  I will attempt to notify everyone who has written a comment to let you know.  I have way over 500 comments, so if I miss you, I apologize.  We will post it on FB also.  You might want to attend the Planning Commission meeting and present your comments in person.  You will have only two minutes, so keep your comments to the point.

The next Text Amendment the city will be working on is Homeless Resource Center Amendments.  Here is the proposed text.  This will be on the agenda for the next Land Use and Zoning Committee (LUZ) on November 14 at 6 pm. via Zoom. (NOTE -the LUZ meeting is on the second Monday in November through February due to the holidays in those months.)  The Mayor has convened a focus group to work through the details of this text amendment, and I will be a part of this review.  I hope to have a city planner join us on November 14 to answer questions.

Judi Short
judi.short@gmail.com