Planning Commission opposes making temporary school zoning rules permanent, approves West High street vacation

The Salt Lake City Planning Commission on July 9 recommended that the City Council not adopt a permanent text amendment to enshrine temporary land-use provisions for K—6 public schools in the PL (public lands) zoning district, but voted to support a separate petition to vacate a portion of 200 North adjacent to West High School.

Grant Aymond, a city planner, told the commission the two city-initiated petitions stem from the Salt Lake City School Districts voter-approved school improvement bond passed in November 2024. "The TLUR allows for the increased maximum height up to 125 feet for K through 12 public schools," Aymond said, and described related changes including reduced setbacks, limited exemptions from local historic-overlay provisions for K—6 public schools, and director-level authority for narrow health-and-safety modifications. He said the street-vacation request would enable the school district to consolidate parcels that are currently constrained by a 1987 lease.

The staff report framed the proposed text changes as a formalization of a temporary land-use regulation (TLUR) the council adopted earlier in the year to protect the timing of the bond-funded projects. The TLUR provisions cited in the staff presentation included: a maximum-school height allowance of up to 125 feet (site-dependent), a reduction of certain side-yard and rear-yard setbacks when abutting nonresidential zones, allowance for school-related equipment or fields in required yards, and an exemption for K—6 public schools from historic-preservation overlay requirements. The staff recommendation to the commission was to forward a positive recommendation for both petitions; the planning commission instead split its recommendations.

Neighbors who live near West High told the commission the proposals raised traffic, parking and neighborhood character concerns. Leland Stevens, a nearby resident, said: "I'm concerned about parking. I'm concerned about traffic. . . I can't even park in front of my own house at this point." Alex Delwick referenced the Capitol Hill master plan and said the changes could allow West High to expand into areas that document had intended remain residential.

Safety and seismic risk were also raised by a public speaker: "I think we should always assume worst case scenario, especially when children are involved," said John Steve Keyes, who referenced the Warm Springs fault and liquefaction concerns.

Commission discussion centered on two competing issues. Several commissioners said they were uncomfortable permanently adopting a 125-foot ceiling and reduced setbacks without firm building plans and siting information for current and future school rebuilds; those commissioners said the text amendment as written was a "moving target" with potential negative impacts to adjacent properties. Other commissioners urged deference to the Salt Lake City School District by noting the district is an elected body tasked with accommodating city growth and that the TLUR was intended by council to avoid losing local regulatory control entirely to pending state action.

Votes at a glance: - Text amendment (PLNPCM2025-00320): Planning commission forwarded a negative recommendation to City Council (motion citing site impacts, height, setbacks, traffic/parking unknowns). The commissions recommendation will be transmitted with meeting minutes and the discussion record; staff will submit its separate recommendation to the council as well. - Street vacation (PLNPCM2025-00321): Planning commission forwarded a positive recommendation to City Council to vacate the specified portion of 200 North, with staff-recommended conditions that include an access and maintenance easement to preserve utility access under the right-of-way and consolidation of the vacated parcel into West Highs campus lotting.

The commissions negative recommendation on the text amendment does not prevent the City Council from approving the changes or the school district from pursuing approvals under the existing temporary rules. Planning staff explained that if the school district completes required zoning submittals before the TLUR expires, those projects could be entitled under the temporary rules; ultimately the City Council will decide whether to adopt the permanent code changes.

Why this matters: The text amendment would change how the city applies zoning rules to public K—6 schools across PL-zoned properties, not only at West High, and could affect future school rebuilds across the city. The street vacation, by contrast, is site-specific and would allow the Salt Lake City School District to consolidate the West High campus in order to implement the bond-funded rebuilding work.

What happens next: Both items will go to the City Council for public hearings and final decisions. Neighbors were encouraged to continue submitting comments to the School District and to attend council hearings if they want to remain engaged on project siting, traffic mitigation and historic-preservation questions.