Planning commission approves preliminary site plan and conditional use for State Street flex-space development

The Sandy Planning Commission on a unanimous vote approved a preliminary site plan and a conditional use permit for the RASH development, a three-building commercial and flex-space project proposed along State Street.

The project team described the proposal as three buildings (two on the north parcel, one on the south) with retail facing State Street and “flex space” industrial uses — light manufacturing, warehousing and small business offices — in rear and east-building spaces. The development team said the site is split-zoned, with the south parcel inside the historic Sandy neighborhood zone and the north parcel in an RC zone near the city boundary.

“The proposal is 3 buildings, 2 on the North, 1 on the South, a driveway extending east to west off State Street,” planning staff said during the presentation. Staff also noted the southern building is inside the historic district and will be returned to the Sandy City Historic Landmarks Committee for architectural review following preliminary approval.

Why it matters: the conditional use allows warehouse/wholesale/light-industrial uses within 250 feet of existing residential zoning, so commissioners attached conditions to limit off-site impacts and to require design/mitigation work before final approval.

Key details and conditions - Zoning and layout: The development is a 0-lot-line design with buildings pushed to property lines where allowed; retail is planned to front State Street and the rear of north and eastern buildings would be reserved for flex-space industrial uses. - Buffers and separation: Staff said the zoning requires an 8-foot masonry wall along the residential edge and a 10-foot landscaped buffer; those measures were included as conditions to address visual separation, sound and potential fire spread. - Property-line encroachment: Staff identified a fence that encroaches on the north parcel; the applicant must remove or rectify the fence and align building placement with the legal property line before final approval. - Historic district review: Because the south building is inside the historic neighborhood zone, staff will work with the applicant and the Historic Landmarks Committee on building materials and colors after preliminary approval (condition reflected in the motion).

Public comment and staff response A neighbor who joined by Zoom identified themselves as a resident south of the site and expressed concerns about privacy, dust and possible toxins from nearby light-industrial activity. “Our main concern is keeping privacy, as well as, like, if it’s an industrial… any toxins or pollution that that might kind of, stir up,” the resident said.

Development Services Manager Doug Wheelwright responded that uses would be contained inside buildings and that the 8-foot masonry wall plus the 10-foot landscaped buffer would mitigate sound and visual impacts. “The buildings are, on the North property line. So we’ve got that distance, approximately 50 feet away,” Wheelwright said, adding that interior containment of activities should minimize noise and dust.

Commission action and next steps Commissioners first found the preliminary site plan submittal complete and approved the preliminary site plan based on the staff report’s two findings and eight conditions. They then approved the conditional use permit allowing warehouse, wholesale and light-industrial uses within 250 feet of residential zoning, based on two findings and three conditions. Both motions passed on roll call.

Staff noted that if the parcels remain legally separate, reciprocal access and shared-parking agreements will be required; the applicant indicated consolidation of parcels was acceptable and the condition stands as written.

What happens next: The developer must correct the property-line encroachment, complete required design coordination with the Historic Landmarks Committee for the south building, and satisfy the listed conditions before final site plan approval and building permits are issued.