Holladay planning commission approves Highland Park PUD amendment, urges developer to save large trees

HOLLADAY — The Holladay Planning Commission on Monday approved a site-plan modification for the Highland Park planned unit development at 4880 South Highland Circle that authorizes additional tree removals tied to updated building and roadway footprints while requiring replacement tree plantings.

City staff and the applicant told the commission that the PUD, originally approved in 2022 for 11 townhomes, had limited tree removals to building and road footprints, but a subsequent arborist assessment identified additional trees outside those footprints that would be severely affected by proposed grading and road placement. City staff said the applicant's replacement plan shows roughly 11,745 square feet of replacement canopy versus just over 9,000 square feet of existing canopy identified in the packet.

Why it matters: Commissioners and neighbors said the redevelopment affects mature trees that provide privacy and neighborhood character. The commission approved the modification but emphasized preserving notable trees where feasible and required that any significant deviations from the approved removal or planting plan return to the commission for review.

City staff Carrie Marsh said the replacement plan disperses canopy into a larger number of smaller…