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Planning commission hears update on draft Town Center urban design standards
Summary
Consultant Mark Morris and city planner Allie Avery presented draft urban design standards to guide development in North Salt Lake's Town Center, highlighting four subdistricts, a 'prototype' checklist, and preliminary survey results favoring ground-floor activation and mid-rise heights.
Consultant Mark Morris presented a mid-process update on the draft Town Center urban design standards, saying the work translates the 2016 Town Center master plan into code intended to guide development for the next 20 years. "We're trying to make sure that the code ... reflects that vision," Morris said, describing goals to encourage a distinct identity, increase activity intensity and improve safety along the Highway 89 corridor.
Morris outlined four subdistricts — core, boulevard, neighborhood transition and park neighborhood — and explained a prototype tool that applies standards to a specific parcel so staff and decision-makers can evaluate proposals consistently. He said the standards focus on elements that are difficult to change once built, such as building placement on a lot, setbacks and maximum/minimum heights.
The presentation included preliminary survey results (12 respondents to date): "engaging ground-floor uses" and pedestrian-oriented spaces ranked highest; respondents favored a 4–5 story maximum in the center with some support for 6+ stories. Morris emphasized that the standards separate ground-floor and upper-floor uses to promote active, public-facing ground floors while allowing flexibility on upper levels. Staff (Allie Avery) and Morris said the survey remains open and that the full draft will be returned to the commission for review in coming weeks.
