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Council briefed on building-permit waivers for Alliance House and First Step House projects; members stress park and neighborhood impacts
Summary
Staff recommended building-permit fee waivers for two nonprofit affordable-housing projects — Alliance House (16 units at 1805 S. Main) and First Step House (67 units at 44 N. 1000 W.) — noting long-term affordability covenants; council members urged attention to neighborhood open-space and park investments near one project site.
Salt Lake City staff presented two nonprofit requests for building-permit fee waivers at the Aug. 19 work session: Alliance House at 1805 South Main Street and First Step House at 44 North 1000 West. Both applicants asked the city to waive construction-permit fees under a city code provision that permits waivers for nonprofit developers providing housing at or below 80% of area median income.
Allison Lisonbee Roland of council policy staff summarized staff review: Alliance House’s project is eligible for a $40,365.52 permit-fee waiver and will offer 16 deeply affordable one-bedroom units targeted at 30% AMI, backed by a HOME regulatory agreement and a Department of Workforce Services deed restriction to preserve affordability for 50 years. First Step House’s project is eligible for a $153,006.39 waiver and would create 67 permanent supportive housing units (63 one-bedrooms and four two-bedroom units) affordable at 40% AMI or below; that project carries a Utah Housing Corporation LIHTC regulatory agreement restricting affordability for 50 years.
Staff said both applications passed administrative review and were recommended by the community-and-neighborhood (CAN) director at an informal hearing; the resolutions to grant the waivers are scheduled for council consideration on Sept. 2. Staff noted both projects may also qualify for impact-fee waivers which are processed separately.
Council members praised the organizations’ work but some raised concerns about concentrated affordable developments near under-resourced public parks. Council member Bui urged consideration of how impact-fee waivers affect funding for adjacent public amenities, noting that one project sits next to Matson Park and that park improvements will be important as new residents arrive. Council members indicated support for the projects but asked staff to consider broader neighborhood amenity investments alongside fee-waiver approvals.
Ending: staff will bring formal resolutions for waiver approval to the Sept. 2 council meeting; impact-fee waiver requests will be handled under a separate administrative process.
