900 East and 3300 South small area plan

Millcreek is writing a small area plan for the mostly commercial blocks around 900 East and 3300 South, working with the design firm MHTN. It began when Granite School District, which owns the open part of the Roosevelt Elementary property, showed interest in building housing for its employees, and it also responds to residents' earlier concerns about pedestrian and bike safety, traffic and keeping small businesses. Residents who joined interviews, a stakeholder workshop and a neighborhood open house worried about building height, neighborhood character, parking, traffic speed and losing open space and local businesses, so the draft proposes height and design standards, street trees, lighting, safer sidewalks and crossings. Staff showed three illustrative concepts for the district's field, all keeping public green space: one pairs a three-story apartment building of about 42 two-bedroom units with 14 two-story townhomes and nearly an acre of green and plaza space, with buildings stepping from about two stories at the street to three behind. Staff stressed they are not an approved proposal, that the district has not decided whether to build, and that the plan would be guidance, not binding rules, until an overlay zone or similar tool is adopted. The old Roosevelt school building is expected to stay in use as the Utah International Charter School. The former county library site is a separate decision for Salt Lake County, which is weighing affordable housing, an arts center, another county use or a sale, and a decision may wait until after the election. The planning commission took no vote on Sept. 16 (draft minutes); the draft goes to a public open house and then the City Council.