Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use And Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Developer presents mixed-use concept for President's Park; council asks staff to review zoning and parking implications
Summary
A developer outlined a concept for ground-level retail with studio apartments above on a six-acre mixed-use parcel near Wells Elementary. Councilmembers welcomed the idea but requested a zoning/code review and clarity on parking, PUD status and design standards before the project advances.
Developer Mike Olson presented a mixed-use concept for about six acres at President's Park, the parcel across Washington Street from Wells Elementary, showing storefront retail at street level with studio residential units above and self-storage behind the main retail buildings.
Olson said the intent is to create walkable neighborhood retail that could house small, low-rent commercial tenants such as a florist, tutoring businesses or small food service and to add modestly priced studio apartments above the storefronts. Olson described the buildings as storefront units roughly 50 by 35 feet deep with residential units above and said similar developments are under construction elsewhere in the Intermountain West.
Councilmembers asked questions about code compliance and parking. City staff explained the original President's Park plan included a mixed-use PUD but that code and development-agreement language have changed since the PUD was approved. Staff said the proposed configuration may require amendments to the development agreement or a new PUD approval and that parking allocations and building-height limits would need formal review. Councilmembers emphasized the need for assigned or reserved resident parking and for a design that preserves a neighborhood character rather than a large-strip-retail appearance.
Councilmembers generally expressed support for the concept but asked the developer and staff to return with a zoning and parking analysis, proposed design standards and a clearer implementation pathway. The developer said he would provide more detailed plans and that staff would consult with the city planner and the attorney to determine whether code amendments or a revised development agreement are necessary.
