Planning Commission backs rezoning to allow 22 townhomes at 1990–2002 S. 500 E.

The Salt Lake City Planning Commission voted to forward a recommendation to City Council to rezone 1990 and 2002 South 500 East from R1-5000 to RMF-35 and to amend the Central Community Future Land Use Map to medium-density residential, clearing the way for a proposed 22-unit townhome development.

Staff presenter Cassie Younger described the 1.03-acre site—formerly the Wells Ward meeting house, which burned in 2024—and said the Castlewood Development plan would deliver 22 for-sale, family-sized townhomes, each with four bedrooms and two-car garages, eight guest parking stalls and over 12,000 square feet of open space including a playground. "The proposed community benefit aligns with our standards by providing housing that meets the needs of the current and future community," Younger said, and staff recommended forwarding the project with conditions to City Council.

Applicant representative Haley Pratt said the design responded to community feedback: the proposal was reduced from 24 to 22 units, additional guest parking was added and setbacks increased along Redondo Avenue and Hollywood. Pratt highlighted parking and family orientation: "Every unit actually has a pathway that connects to our central pocket park...every unit has two stalls," and said the project averages 2.36 stalls per unit.

Public comment was mixed. Resident Shawn Steinman supported the project as "attainable housing" and for-sale family housing that could help meet mayoral housing goals. Neighbors including Jonathan Metzman, Alyssa Johnson, Garo Topchian and Ryan Tomlinson opposed the rezoning, citing density, parking overflow on narrow local streets, height, sunlight impacts and neighborhood compatibility. "We're going from seven single-family homes to 22 townhouses in a neighborhood that's already jam-packed," Topchian said. Metzman asked for a fuller plan to address overflow parking.

Commissioners pressed staff and the applicant for details. Staff said many proposed conditions will be recorded in a development agreement and noted that some projects of similar density elsewhere include publicly accessible features; on this site the pocket park is expected to be privately owned with open connections but would not have a recorded public easement. The record contains slightly inconsistent statements about height limits: staff noted the applicant proposed capping height at 30 feet, while the applicant presentation later referenced a 38-foot cap; the record shows both statements and a clear commitment in conditions to limit building scale relative to code allowances.

Two separate motions were made to forward the rezoning and the companion general plan amendment to City Council with the conditions listed in the staff report; both motions passed unanimously. The commission’s recommendation will now go to City Council for final action.

What’s next: the Planning Commission recommendation will be considered by Salt Lake City Council; the development, if approved, will be subject to the conditions and a development agreement recorded against the property.