Salt Lake City Council hears proposal to designate Sampson Altadena Apartments as local landmark

At its Sept. 16, 2025, work session the Salt Lake City Council heard an introductory presentation and applicant remarks on an ordinance to designate the Sampson and Altadena Apartments as a local landmark site. Planning staff recommended the designation, saying the buildings — located at the southwest corner of 300 East and 300 South in District 4 — meet the city’s standards for historic significance and integrity.

Planning staff noted both buildings were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in February 2010 but emphasized that "being listed on the national register doesn't offer protections in the same way a local landmark site does," a member of planning staff said. Staff described the period of significance as roughly 1906–1945 and highlighted the buildings’ neoclassical architectural features, deep porches, and well-preserved brick-and-stone masonry. The presentation also said twin walk-up apartment buildings of this type are rare among Salt Lake City’s extant housing stock.

Annie Isaacson, representing the Sampson Altadena Condominiums Homeowner Association and identifying herself as a career architect who has led restoration efforts, asked the council to support the application. Isaacson told the council the HOA purchased the property for $621,000 and "we've spent in the last 5 years almost a million dollars on this building," and said the group secured written agreement from all 17 unit owners for the application. "That was a gift for us to find out," she said, describing unanimous support among owners for local landmark status.

Council members who spoke voiced support for the application and for preserving the neighborhood’s historic character. Council Member Young praised the applicants’ persistence and noted the commissions’ positive recommendations; Council Member Lopez Chavez thanked the applicant and Central City advocates. Chair Wharton said he would support exploring zoning incentives to encourage local landmark registrations and cited a recently passed local ordinance that provides some protections against overly tall adjacent construction as an applicable tool for this property.

No formal council action was taken at the work session. Council members were told public comment on the item will be accepted at the Oct. 7 meeting (West Side, Sorensen Community Center), and tentative council action is scheduled for Oct. 21.

What happens next: the council will accept public comment on Oct. 7 and is scheduled to consider final action on the ordinance on Oct. 21; staff and the applicant said other board members will attend the Oct. 7 meeting to speak in support.