Salt Lake City planning staff outline wide mixed‑use zoning consolidation, map changes and design standards

Salt Lake City planning staff on Feb. 4 presented a consolidated mixed‑use zoning proposal that would merge 26 existing commercial, mixed‑use and form‑based districts into six new mixed‑use districts (MU2, MU3, MU5, MU6, MU8 and MU11), revise the zoning map in targeted areas and add citywide design standards and open‑space minimums.

The presentation, given by Chrissy Gilmore, senior planning staffers Daniel Echeverria and Kelsey Linguist, and introduced to the council by Nick Tarbot, described the twin aims of the project: to simplify the zoning code so it is easier to administer and to better align regulation with building form and neighborhood context. "This proposal is to update the zoning ordinance and the zoning map by consolidating 26 commercial mixed use and form based districts into 6 new mixed use districts," Gilmore said.

Planning staff said the new MU zones are scaled by typical building heights and forms — MU2 and MU3 for lower‑scale neighborhood commercial and townhouse forms, MU5 and MU6 for mid‑scale corridors and transit areas, and MU8 and MU11 for higher‑intensity commercial and mixed‑use locations outside the core downtown area. The proposal would retain most existing development rights but in some places allow slightly greater height or reduced setbacks to support additional housing production and by‑right development.

Staff described substantive code changes that would apply across the proposed MU districts: a 10%…