Salt Lakers press City Council to approve Power District rezone and restore railroad Quiet Zone. 

Several community members and representatives of local chambers of commerce spoke in support of a plan to rezone nearly 100 acres of west Salt Lake City near North Temple during a City Council meeting Tuesday night. This rezone would facilitate the development of the Power District by the Larry H. Miller Company.

The Council also passed a ceremonial resolution recognizing Dec. 1 as World AIDS Day and held a public hearing regarding the Woods Cross Quiet Zone, which affects the sounding of train horns at surface crossings in the city.

Power District Rezone
The Power District is planned to span more than 90 acres of largely vacant land in the Poplar Grove neighborhood at approximately 1500 W. North Temple. The Larry H. Miller Company (LHM) petitioned the rezone and would develop the new district as a mixed-use residential, retail and entertainment hub. LHM is also responsible for developing the Daybreak community and owns the Salt Lake Bees, which is relocating to South Jordan as LHM and other stakeholders pursue a Major League Baseball team for the capital city.

However, development of the Power District itself was spurred by state lawmakers earlier this spring. They mandated that the city enter into an agreement to create a specialized investment and restoration district in the area—adjacent to the Utah State Fairgrounds—by the end of the year.

“We're excited to see the private investment from LHM to ensure we see a robust project that includes residential, commercial, open space, retail and restaurants,” said Heidi Walker, representing the Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance.

click to enlarge

• Big League Utah
• Conceptual renderings of a potential Major League Baseball stadium in the Power District, a planned mixed-use development on Salt Lake City's west side.

The rezone under consideration would facilitate the development of the new district by creating a new Jordan River Fairpark zone. This zoning would permit buildings up to 400 feet and, according to Tuesday night’s agenda, the district would also “be exempt from meeting the City's general plans.”

“The Power District Project represents an incredible opportunity to enhance and elevate the vibrant, growing Hispanic business ecosystem of the West Side,” said Nelson Altamirano​, vice-chair of the Utah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

According to the Power District’s website, the development would include a potential major-league baseball park, access to the Jordan River, residential space and mixed-use development at the current site of a Rocky Mountain Power campus.

“The Jordan River has literally been the crossroads of the West for millennia,” Jordan River Commission executive director Soren Simonson said, “and we're excited and acknowledge that this is an important opportunity to re-center community and culture around this incredible natural resource.”

Some, however, expressed concern that the City won’t do enough to oversee the development.

“If we give up all oversight on this 100 acres, the anything-goes attitude could mean motels, strip shopping centers, cheap apartment complexes, a big box store or even acres of surface parking,” said Bree Scheer, a member of the city’s Planning Commission.

Emiliano Santiago, a west side resident, shared concerns over what this district could mean for nearby neighborhoods (there are currently no residential properties within the Power District itself). He said he’s also spoken to other residents in the area who feel similarly.

“I’m highly opposed to this rezone,” Santiago said.

After the last speaker finished, the Council voted to continue the public hearing to a future date.

Railroad Quiet Zone
The Council also held a public hearing on an ordinance to temporarily close the rail crossing at 1000 West to allow the restoration of a railroad Quiet Zone while work continues on safety improvements.

Earlier this fall, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) inspected the railroad crossing in this area and “determined numerous existing safety systems and measures were inadequate and therefore suspended the quiet zone,” a staff report said. As a result of this suspension, passenger and freight trains must now sound their horn at all at-grade crossings from Ogden to Provo until they meet Quiet Zone regulations.

“I wanted to take a moment tonight to implore the Council to pass the road closure so that the quiet zones can be restored as quickly as possible,” Madeline West, a resident of the area, said. “We are currently averaging, in my area, around three hours a night of uninterrupted sleep.”

Another resident of the area shared a similar experience.

After the hearing had finished, the Council attempted to pass the resolution on the spot. However, they were informed that the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) had to receive notification of this change before it could pass, which the city had only done that day.

Instead, the Council voted to follow a staff recommendation to continue the public hearing to a future date. After that motion passed, Councilmember Alejandro Puy spoke to ensure residents that the city is doing as much as they can to reinstate the Quiet Zone quickly.

World AIDS Day
The Council, alongside Mayor Erin Mendenhall, recognized Dec. 1 as World AIDS Day through a ceremonial resolution.

"The elimination of stigma in Utah will lead to better physical and mental health outcomes for people living with HIV, increased HIV disclosure, increased HIV testing and decreased HIV infections," Councilmember Dan Dugan read from the resolution.

Later, he read, "Salt Lake City is grateful for the FDA's decision to rescind its recommendation that blood donation centers turn away donors in the LGBTQ community based solely on sexual history since, according to the CDC, all blood for transfusion is tested for evidence of certain infectious disease pathogens such as HIV.”

After Dugan read the resolution, Councilmember Chris Wharton took a moment to speak on the CDC’s decision to stop restricting who can donate blood.

“We pass this resolution every year, but I think it was last year we included language asking for help from human services to change that provision that prevented certain people from donating blood,” Wharton said. “I don't want to say that it was because of our resolution, but within a year of us doing that and sending it to the Department of Health and Human Services, they did change the policy.”

Later, a representative from UAF Legacy Health accepted the resolution.

“Thank you for allowing me to be here to accept this resolution,” he said. “We are the first primary care clinic for the LGBTQ-plus community and for years, we have provided services for HIV prevention. But now we can also provide treatment, mental health services and behavioral health services.”

He also shared that in honor of World AIDS Day, UAF Legacy Health will be offering free STI testing during the week of Dec. 1.