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Commission urges tighter Main Street design standards; tables draft with recommendation to favor 'Utah historic/traditional' materials
Summary
After a long discussion, Alpine commissioners voted to table final action on the Main Street/Gateway Corridor design guidelines and recommended narrowing allowable primary/secondary materials and adding a placeholder architectural style described as 'Utah historic/traditional' (brick, wood, dark‑framed windows). The recommendation will be folded into a revised draft for public hearing and later City Council review.
The planning commission spent the longest portion of its March 3 meeting reviewing the draft Main Street and Gateway Corridor design guidelines and recommended further tightening before final adoption. Staff said the draft is intended to replace existing Gateway Historic design guidance; commissioners debated whether to narrow the list of allowed primary and secondary materials and whether to identify an explicit architectural style to guide future development on Main Street.
Commissioners voiced a consistent view that the draft’s current matrix is too permissive. Commissioner Alan McDonald argued narrowing primary materials would yield a more coherent town center over decades: "If we really want something coherent... I'd recommend red brick, reddish brown brick, black framed... windows," he said. Greg Butterfield and others urged that an architectural style be selected or a professional architect engaged so materials, roof forms and window treatment align rather than producing a patchwork of trendy elements. Commissioner Michelle Shermer moved to table the guideline discussion and forward a recommendation that materials be narrowed (brick, wood, black‑framed windows), that secondary materials be removed from the matrix, and that a 'Utah historic/traditional' architectural descriptor be added; the motion passed unanimously. Staff said the recommendation will be incorporated into a revised draft and the commission will hold a future public hearing before forwarding the plan to city council for adoption and related updates to the Gateway Historic design guidelines.
Commissioners also discussed lighting/dark‑sky recommendations and the limits of design controls for residential properties absent a formal historic designation; staff noted that commercial design guidance can be stricter, while single‑family homes generally have different legal constraints.
