Planning commission backs Solberg’s Market preliminary plat despite parking, access questions

The Grantsville City Planning Commission on Aug. 7 recommended approval of the preliminary plat application for Solberg’s Market — a development that includes a grocery store and an Ace Hardware — at East 30 Street and Matthews Lane, with the commission attaching the conditions listed in the staff report.

The vote followed staff reviews and public discussion of parking calculations, delivery routing, stormwater management and future pad sites. Commissioner Sarah moved to recommend approval “as presented,” the motion was seconded and commissioners voted in favor.

City planning staff and the applicant told the commission they are continuing detailed review of parking and site improvements through the city’s Development Review Committee (DRC). Shay Stark, a city planning staff member, presented parking calculations during the meeting and said the grocery’s finished floor area used in staff calculations is 46,882 square feet, which “times 3.42” spaces per 1,000 square feet yields about 160.33 stalls, or 161 required stalls. Stark said that parking for the grocery and hardware is being reconciled with the DRC and that pads intended for future retail will be required to dedicate parking based on their eventual uses.

“We are still reviewing the plans,” Stark said, adding that the applicant must meet the staff conditions in the packet before final approvals.

Jared Mitchell, representing Associated Food Stores and the applicant team, described typical grocery parking practice and said Solberg’s aims to work with city staff to address any shortfalls. “We typically base the grocery store off of 4 per thousand. That’s what we’re always striving to get,” Mitchell said, noting the project team will coordinate with staff if adjustments are required.

Commissioners and staff pressed for more detail on several operational and safety items. The applicant outlined a truck-routing plan that would route deliveries to a loading dock accessed from Matthews Lane and the site’s northern circulation so trucks do not cross the primary customer parking area. The applicant said trucks would circle the north side of the site to the dock, back into the dock and exit via a planned connector road to keep delivery movements largely off the main parking field.

On stormwater, the applicant said an underground storm basin will capture on-site runoff. Mitchell said a stormwater basin and underground system will handle the development’s runoff and that details will be finalized in engineering review.

Commissioners also asked about lighting and signage. Mitchell said the applicant intends to comply with city standards and that proposed signage includes monument signs on Matthews and at the corner of Matthews and Durfee to serve the development and pad sites; the applicant expressed a preference for internally illuminated signage but said signage will meet whatever the city’s code requires.

Several commissioners and members of the public also discussed pad sites adjacent to the grocery and hardware. Staff said a declaration will require future pad owners to provide parking appropriate to their eventual uses; at the hearing staff and the applicant acknowledged that the currently shown pad layouts do not yet include finalized tenant uses and that those uses will be addressed during subsequent plan reviews.

Commission action: Commissioner Sarah made a motion to recommend approval of the preliminary plat for Solberg’s Market at East 30 Street and Matthews Lane, with conditions listed in the staff report. The motion was seconded; the commission voted in favor.

Next steps: With the planning commission recommendation, the application will continue through the city’s review process (final engineering/DRC and city council consideration). Staff and the applicant will finalize parking counts, stormwater design and signage as part of those reviews.