After reading the change in zoning that the MILL CREEK COMMUNITY COUNCIL wants to do and already have voted on as a Council at one meeting unanimously, I have to say I actually agree with the Council. My parents, with my brother and I, moved into this neighborhood/area in 1985 and my parents still live in their same house. My husband and I bought a home a little above my parents back in 2001 and we still live here. Here are Jeff Silvestrinis (who is on the Council) comments and reasonings on why the Council chose to vote for the changes: Why did the Mount Olympus Community Council recommend approving this rezone request? Sorry this is long, but here is why: This rezone affects about 7 acres of land across from the Olympus Hills Shopping Center between I-215 and Wasatch Blvd: the infamous “UDOT Batch Plant” property. The proposal made to our Council and currently before the Millcreek Township Planning Commission is to change the zoning for this parcel from R-1-8 to RM. RM zoning is a higher density residential zone which permits conditional use by a hotel and could conceivably permit buildings as high as six stories (75 feet), although such use would be conditional and potentially limited to less than that. The Mount Olympus Community Council unanimously recommended approval of this zone change and I would like to explain why we did so. The property is currently owned by the Department of Transportation. The Department has expressed an interest in or selling the property as surplus. The State is required to sell it for fair market value. We have already experienced the location of a cement batch plant on the property for the rebuild of I-80 and if UDOT retained ownership of the property it could be used for such a use again. Previously, UDOT has proposed erecting a truck maintenance facility and garage on the site, so we could potentially have snowplows and maintenance trucks stored repaired and operating out of that site in our neighborhood. This is something that the Mount Olympus Community Council opposed in the past and the proposed zone change and development of the property would preclude that type of potential permanently.. So what does the rezone allow? Permitted uses in the R-M zone include: Agriculture; Home business, subject to Chapter 19.85; Home day care/preschool, subject to Section 19.04.293; Household pets; Residential development, with a maximum number of two units per structure per lot; and Residential facility for elderly persons. (Ord. 1535 § 4 (part), 2004; Ord. 1200 § 5 (part), 1992; Ord. 1179 § 5 (part), 1992; § 1 (part) of Ord. passed 2/1/84; prior code § 22-22-2). Conditional uses in an RZ zone permit, subject to reasonable conditions as to which the neighborhood will have input, through the community council and the planning commission, to mitigate adverse impacts. The maximum height for these conditional uses in an RM zone is six stories or 75 feet. We can agree that this is tall. As tall as the buildings in our neighborhood on the corner of Wasatch and Brockbank (4500S.). The current R-1-8 zoning permits single family residential housing on 8000 square foot lots. Given the location of this land between Wasatch Boulevard and the freeway, it is not likely that the property would be attractive to developers without a rezone, and the risk that UDOT might use this property for something even more unpalatable to our community increases. UDOT is not subject to any county zoning limitations and can basically build whatever it wants on its property. The highest and best use of the property is probably light commercial to compliment the shopping center across the street. Because of the location of the property with the freeway on one side and the Olympus Hills Shopping Center on the other, our council has believed for some time that the most appropriate use for this property is light commercial to compliment the Olympus Hills Shopping Center. This use is among the uses contemplated in our General Plan. Location of a hotel or light commercial property on this site would increase the viability of our current Olympus Hills Shopping Center and a number of outdoor recreation retailers that have located in and surrounding our neighborhood. It would provide additional needed tax base for our community-- funding for schools and public safety services such as police and fire. The Millcreek Township and Mount Olympus Community specifically need more commercial tax generating businesses to ensure that we continue to receive our current high level of services without further tax increases. Hotels generate much sales and hotel tax revenues. One proposal that has been discussed for this property is locating a hotel there, which would probably be approximately four stories tall, but could conceivably be as tall as six stories under the proposed zone change. There is really no hotel close to our neighborhood and a hotel at this location would be used by out-of-town skiers and people visiting family and friends in our community. A hotel is a clean use and would provide additional customers to support restaurants and retailers in the Olympus Hills Shopping Center, in neighboring Canyon Rim. This use would attract additional business for the Olympus Hills Shopping Center which would make it even a more vibrant town center for our neighborhood. Another proposal which has been discussed for this property is high-end residential townhouses which would also need to be multi-story in order to be marketable, particularly given the location between the freeway and the Olympus Hills shopping Center. The height of any proposed development is always a concern in our community. The proposed zoning would allow building to a maximum of six stories or 75 feet, but most suburban-type hotels are usually at most three to four stories. County Planning and Development Services has conducted a balloon study to get a feel for the impact this could have on the view shed. Notably, some of this property is lower than the level of Wasatch Boulevard and the freeway is elevated on the west side. The impact of building up is therefore mitigated. Further, the Olympus Hills Shopping Center and our neighborhood across Wasatch Blvd. rises significantly such that a four to six story development is not likely to significantly block views from residences in our neighborhood. Development of this property will also allow for construction of a new fire station on this site. We desperately need a new fire station in Mount Olympus. Our current station on Jupiter is obsolete. It’s too small for current needs and unsafe in an earthquake. The current site is also too small for building a new station given the size of modern equipment. For years citizen volunteers have been working with the county to plan a vision for our Mt. Olympus Community. A hotel was identified as an amenity we are lacking which would enhance our tax base and compliment the Olympus Hills Shopping Center. Rezoning the UDOT parcel RM would allow for a new modern fire station to serve our community and prevent the property from becoming another cement batch plant or a truck maintenance facility at UDOT’s whim. With the fire station, we can install a stop light to better control the traffic and improve safety on Wasatch Blvd. in front of the shopping center. We think the proposed rezone will enhance the walkability of the Olympus Hills Shopping Center, increase our tax base, provide an amenity which our community currently lacks and provide for a new fire station. We do not think the increase in traffic will be dramatic, but with a new fire station and a semaphore across from Dan’s, traffic will be better regulated and safer than now. These are among the reasons that the Mount Olympus Community Council believed that this rezone made sense for our community. We urge you to consider the realistic impacts, our need for increased tax base and what an improved retail center in the Mount Olympus area could mean for a walkable community in Mount Olympus when you consider your position on this proposed zone change. Jeff Silvestrini Mount Olympus Community Council Chair.
Posted on: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 07:59:59 +0000
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