Hearing officer takes under advisement request to reduce gate setback, allow taller fence at Salt Lake City multifamily site

A Salt Lake City hearing officer on Oct. 12 took under advisement an application by Vester Realty Partners seeking relief from the city's gate setback and front-fence height rules for a planned family-sized rental project in the Granary area.

The applicant, represented by Jeff Grosso of Vester Realty Partners and John Galbraith of Element Design, asked to reduce a 17.5-foot required setback for a gated vehicle entrance to roughly 7 feet and to allow a fence higher than the 4-foot maximum for fences in front of a primary facade. "We're lining up our capital to start the project," Grosso said, adding that homeless encampments on the vacant site have made securing financing and attracting lenders contingent on a secured perimeter.

Hearing Officer Clayton Preece said he would review the submissions and comments and expects to issue a written decision within about 10 days.

Why this matters

The dispute pits the developer's claims about safety, site security and project viability against city staff's determination that the…