SH LUZ REPORT 2020 DECEMBER

On October 28 The Planning Commission approved the Zoning Text Amendment for Restaurants in Public Lands.  https://sugarhousecomm.wpengine.com/city-owned-pl-parcels/ is a list of locations that could be included.This has to go to the City Council for final approval.

They also approved the recommendations to the Billboard Ordinance.  This would do away with the Billboard bank, It also says no new billboards could be constructed on a gateway street. Electronic billboards would be prohibited on gateway streets. Here is the proposal: https://sugarhousecomm.wpengine.com/amendments-to-billboard-ordinance/  The City Council will need to approve this amendment.  This is what the City Attorney Katie Lewis had to say::  Billboards are nonconforming uses in Salt Lake City, in most zones.  They once were permitted, but the code changed, now they are prohibited. Under city code, the billboard could remain until the lease expired, but once it expires they cannot move it. Under state law, billboards have other rights.  If it existed as a nonconforming use in SLC, and that lease expires, Utah code allows billboard owners to relocate that billboard within one-mile radius to any commercial manufacturing or industrial zone, within one year.  If a nonconforming billboard owner signs a new lease with a new property owner, the billboard can be moved.  If the city says no, we will not issue you a permit, the city is required to give the billboard owner compensation, if certain circumstances are met under Utah law.  No other nonconforming use survives.

Billboards are the only thing that have more rights than other uses. City code, in addition to the state rights, gives billboard owners the right to request to relocate, and the city then does not have to pay.  And, the other is a billboard bank. There are Special Gateways in the city – South Temple, 400 South, State and Main Street within certain coordinates (downtown).  If a billboard is removed, the lease expires, that billboard owner gets 3 years to look within that defined area for a new place to relocate. There is also a General billboard bank for billboards not in the core gateway as described.  That general billboard bank gives owners’ rights to relocate in certain cases.

The proposal before you is to remove the billboard bank.  Billboards would still have the rights under state law, but would no longer be able to bank that for three years.

When asked why this is going forward now, the answer was “As you know, even in a pandemic, wind, an earthquake and civil unrest, the city’s business goes forward.”  And when queried about not receiving adequate notice, the answer was we are revising our ordinance to be in line with state law. Those individuals are here, so they have received notice.

Nonconforming billboards, those currently can be banked for three years.  State law and billboard bank address specifically nonconforming billboards, and allows one year.

If a nonconforming billboard right is terminated, if they cannot find another place to put that billboard, there is no loss, the city does not have to pay them.  So today, this is a request  to relocate  billboards which have more rights than any other conditional use, and to rely on those rights under state law, and to remove the billboard bank under city code.

The Accessory Dwelling  Unit at 2321 Windsor Street was approved.

Here is the link to the Child Care Text Amendments.  It is still time to provide a comment for the Planning Commission.

Izzy South at 534 E 2100 South will be on the Planning Commission Agenda December 2 at 5:30 pm.  Here is a link to the agenda and instructions for attending the virtual meeting: http://www.slcdocs.com/Planning/Planning%20Commission/2020/PC12.02.2020agenda.pdf. You can find the staff report at this same link by the Friday before the meeting November 27. It will be posted on the SHCC website also https://sugarhousecomm.wpengine.com/izzy-south-542-east-2100-south/

This is a public hearing, so even if you spoke at the last meeting, you may speak again.  Details to follow.

SUGAR TOWN is located where the Snelgrove/Dreyer’s Ice Cream Factory was, on 2100 South between 800 and 900 East. These are preliminary drawings to give you a sense of what it will look like.  The old sign will be reproduced, maybe the SNELGROVE neon letters will emerge as Public Art.  (The SHCC has been storing them in hopes that someday they would return to Sugar House!) The ice cream cone will be moved here as well.

This will have 338 units, with a mix of studio, one bedroom, two bedroom and townhomes.  The best part is there will be about 60 affordable workforce units in the building!! And, the Sugar House liquor store will move to this location at street level. The preliminary plans have been shown to the  SHCC Land Use Committee, and this will be on the SHCC main meeting December 2.  At some point, when plans are final, it will come back to Land Use for a deeper look into the details. https://sugarhousecomm.wpengine.com/sugar-town/

The next Land Use Committee is December 14 (2nd Monday due to the Holidays), and right now we don’t have any new items on the agenda. Watch your email for details.