Salt Lake City OKs major zoning changes tied to Smith’s Delta Center plans
Aug 28, 2024, 6:14 AM | Updated: 5:00 pm
Salt Lake City’s downtown skyline on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. (Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News)
(Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Major changes are coming to zoning in a section of downtown Salt Lake City, paving the way for Smith Entertainment Group’s plans for a “sports, entertainment, culture and convention” district surrounding a remodeled Delta Center.
The Salt Lake City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday evening to approve changes to Salt Lake City’s D4-Secondary Central Business Center zone.
“No one is going to say this fell apart because the city didn’t give it its all; it didn’t work hard to make it work,” Salt Lake City Council Chairwoman Victoria Petro told KSL.com after the vote.
The vote to change Salt Lake City zoning
The vote took place after council members hashed out any remaining questions about the proposal earlier in the day. For example, city officials agreed that the partnership agreement can be amended to include new language about where signs are allowed and other key sign regulations in response to concerns residents brought up about electric signs and billboards overrunning downtown.
Under the new zoning, the maximum building height is moved from 125-375 feet to 600 feet. Any building 200 feet or above will need to go through a design review. A building must have an 8-foot setback except for plazas or similar spaces.
Stadiums and commercial parking lots are considered permitted uses, while the Delta Center sign overlay is expanded out toward the Salt Palace blocks. On top of sign rules, the partnership agreement is expected to outline building heights and setbacks near buildings like the Japanese Church of Christ — another concern brought up during the zoning change process.
The proposal had drawn criticism from residents, including the Salt Lake City Planning Commission, which voted unanimously on June 12 to give it a negative recommendation over multiple concerns.
Commissioners suggested “buffer zones” by Abravenel Hall and elements of Historic Japantown. They also voiced concerns about the speed of the project and the impact a drastic building height increase could have on the city, where the tallest building is now 450 feet.
Read the full story at KSL.com
Related: Salt Lake’s Delta Center zoning changes meet opposition from Planning Commission
