Commission approves partial downtown redevelopment at 805 and 839 Zion Park Boulevard with parcel consolidation, color and mitigation conditions

The Springdale Planning Commission on Jan. 15 approved a design development review for partial redevelopment of 805 and 839 Zion Park Boulevard and a portion of 75 Manzanita Drive, clearing the way for renovation of the former Fatale Gallery, demolition of the former Casa de Amigos restaurant, and construction of five new commercial buildings currently proposed as two restaurants and three retail spaces. The motion passed unanimously, 5‑0.

Niall Connolly, community development staff, summarized the application and key constraints: the project proposes a pedestrian plaza with a water feature, roughly 77 parking spaces as shown in the applicant package, and includes a portion of Parcel S4A5 that the council agreed to remove from a prior settlement agreement. Connolly told commissioners that the applicants are required to have approvals in place by March 2025 and noted the town code’s employee‑housing requirement for commercial developments that employ 15 or more full‑time equivalent employees.

Rosemary Stum, an architect representing the Palmer family, said the property owners will own the buildings but do not intend to operate the businesses and do not expect to directly employ 15 or more full‑time people at this location. “The Palmer's do not intend on having more than 15 employees themselves,” she said, and added that the family already owns other Springdale properties that include housing.

Commissioners debated several operational and neighborhood issues during a lengthy deliberation. Staff and the applicant agreed to a motion condition requiring consolidation of the project parcels into Parcel S170A before construction permits are issued and to provide color samples of the simulated metal roof and aluminum‑clad window frames to staff to confirm they match the town’s color palette. The commission also required that the applicant develop a mitigation plan to address headlight and noise impacts from parking lot exits on adjacent residential properties; commissioners asked that mitigation prioritize on‑site measures and allow offering mitigation to affected neighbors if on‑site measures prove infeasible.

The commission discussed employee housing at length. Connolly explained that the code’s housing requirement triggers at 15 full‑time equivalent employees, and that a 10 percent requirement is rounded up to a minimum of two units when the calculation yields fewer than two. The commission’s approval includes direction that staff and the applicant track tenant build‑outs and require employee‑housing compliance if and when any tenant or combination of tenants meets the 15‑FTE threshold; staff noted that some tenant improvements will be staff‑reviewed building permits and others could return to the commission if they constitute exterior changes.

Commissioners raised operational concerns about delivery truck routing, parking counts and trash enclosures. The application materials included differing drawings: staff and the applicant agreed to reconcile inconsistent counts for parking and dumpster locations before permits are issued. Commissioners requested confirmation of parking capacity relative to final tenant mixes and noted that parking must be located on the consolidated parcel. Lighting was also discussed; the applicant’s engineer allocated lumen allowances for signage and perimeter lighting but staff warned the design is near the ordinance maximum and that future signage may necessitate fixture adjustments.

Motion record: Terry Kruschke moved approval; Jennifer McCullough seconded. Vote record: Jennifer McCullough, aye; Terry Kruschke, aye; Tom Kinston (chair), aye; Paul Zimmerman, aye; Tanner Paxman, aye. The motion passed 5‑0 with multiple conditions requiring parcel consolidation, color confirmations, employee‑housing tracking, mitigation planning with adjacent residents and reconciliation of parking and dumpster plan details before building permits are issued.