Planning staff begins Northwest Community Plan update, seeks more community input

Planning staff briefed the Salt Lake City Planning Commission on an update to the Northwest Community Plan and said the team will return with a draft for commission and public review by the end of the summer.

The briefing explained boundary adjustments, an expanded scope to include Northpointe, and that the North Temple Boulevard station area will be folded into the community plan to meet state station-area regulations. “The Northwest Community Plan was last updated in 1992,” planning staff Kelsey said, and the update is intended to “align with current citywide policies and goals,” including the housing plan, the transportation plan and Plan Salt Lake.

Why it matters: The Northwest plan frames land use, transportation and housing policy for a part of the city that includes transit corridors, the Power District and areas the city expects to annex. Changes to the plan could affect future zoning, housing type and pedestrian and bicycle connections along North Temple.

Staff told commissioners the project team assessed the plan boundary and moved the southern edge to incorporate an adjacent area previously outside any community plan; the Salt Lake City International Airport was removed from the plan area because the airport has its own planning process. The presentation also said Northpointe will be included within the updated plan boundary, but the recently adopted Northpointe small area plan will take precedence where policies conflict. “That plan has more specific policies to the Northpointe community,” Kelsey said.

Staff summarized engagement to date: the team ran nine outreach events, translated materials and published a Spanish-language survey; a recent community event at Culture Coffee produced a surge in responses and staff said they have “over 140 survey results.” Staff said feedback consistently named public safety in public spaces, gaps in walkability and transit connections north of North Temple, a weak urban tree canopy, and demand for more family-sized housing units and homeownership opportunities.

Commissioners asked about annexation and the plan’s relationship with the Northpointe small area plan. “It would identify those areas of being annexed, but the Northpointe small area plan will address the policy considerations for those new annex areas,” Kelsey said. Commissioners also pressed staff to look for ways the Northwest plan can improve pedestrian permeability off North Temple, noting large block lengths and missing mid-block connections that reduce walkability.

Commissioners discussed the Power District, which is included in the plan boundary but is governed by a separate development agreement. Kelsey said the team is considering how to structure mixed-use zoning and housing policy to help nearby neighborhoods “monopolize on the overflow” if the district develops as anticipated. Commissioners suggested adding visionary policy language where future political changes could allow the city to exert greater influence.

Staff said the project has entered the drafting phase; the team will compile survey themes and draft policies and hopes to present a draft to the commission and the community for feedback by the end of the summer. No formal action was taken during the briefing; staff were directed to continue outreach, stakeholder interviews and drafting.

The commission’s next steps: staff will return with a draft plan for discussion and later schedule public hearings through the commission and city council processes. The briefing closed without a vote.