Planning commission recommends city adopt changes to building‑preservation incentives

The Salt Lake City Planning Commission on a unanimous vote recommended that City Council adopt a zoning text amendment to refine the city’s building‑preservation and adaptive‑reuse incentives, Planning Department staff told the commission.

Staff planner Amy Thompson summarized the proposal as “a text amendment, for changes to the, building preservation incentives,” saying the petition was initiated by Mayor Erin Mendenhall and that “staff is recommending that the planning commission forward a recommendation of approval to the city council.”

The amendment clarifies how the incentives created by a July 2024 ordinance operate and makes several targeted changes. The ordinance offers two incentive tracks: adaptive reuse, which permits land uses not normally allowed in a zoning district to encourage reuse of older buildings, and building preservation, which allows flexibility in zoning standards for existing buildings at least 50 years old. Incentives include waived lot area requirements, creation of lots without frontage, reduced parking and a streamlined approval process.

Key changes proposed in the amendment include: - Narrowing a design standard that currently prohibits garage doors facing a street so it applies specifically to single‑family attached townhomes, rather than to all new construction associated with an eligible building. - Allowing administrative modifications to maximum yard (setback) requirements in zoning districts that have maximum setbacks, aligning those provisions with existing administrative changes to minimum yards. - Clarifying that projects using incentives for new development — and additions to existing eligible buildings — must guarantee retention of the eligible building for 30 years. - Aligning the entitlement timeline to allow a one‑year time extension request, matching other planning processes. - Expanding the scope of administrative design review so it can be used to consider modifications to design standards beyond additional height, preserving the expedited review pathway for building‑preservation projects.

Thompson told the commission administrative design review is intended to preserve the incentive’s expedited process: approval can be granted by the planning director if standards are met rather than requiring a public hearing before the commission, a process she said can take three to five months. Staff also described the public notice protocol for administrative reviews: a 12‑day notice to recognized community organizations and notices to abutting property owners; submitted public comments are added to the official record.

Commissioners asked about the 12‑day notice period and whether community councils meet often enough to participate; Thompson said the 12‑day notice is already in city ordinance for administrative processes and is not a new change in the amendment.

A representative of a recognized organization, Cindy Cromer, spoke during public comment. Cromer said she is concerned about the effects of repeated extensions on East Downtown properties that are held but not actively developed. She added she supports adaptive reuse projects receiving administrative extensions because such projects “are sustainable projects in terms of materials” and typically maintain site security to protect the existing building. Her remarks were entered into the record; staff reported no emailed public comments on the draft amendment.

After discussion, Commissioner Christiansen moved that the commission recommend City Council adopt the text amendment (recorded as PLN PCM 20 20 5‑3 9 in the meeting record). Commissioner Scott seconded. The roll call vote registered yes votes from Commissioners Christiansen, Scott, Leverett, Berry and the chair; Commissioner Berry’s votes appear consistently in the record. The commission Chair cast a yes vote; the motion carried.

The commission forwarded the recommendation to City Council for final consideration and ordinance adoption.