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SALT LAKE CITY — Residents and business owners in the 9th and 9th area fear a recently approved development plan will aggravate the neighborhood's already prominent parking problems.
The Salt Lake City Planning Commission voted earlier this month to approve a mixed-use, residential and retail complex at 932 E. 900 South in place of the aging and empty Mutual Beauty Supply store.
"There has been a strong surge of sentiment that there will be a huge impact," said Darryl High, co-chairman of the East Liberty Park Community Council. "The building is out of scale, it violates the character of the neighborhood, and it will bring a host of density issues and parking problems."
At 35,000 square feet, the three-story project exceeds the 20,000 square feet allowed under zoning in the area. While it's planned to include 28 housing units on the second and third floors and 5,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor, it will only provide 25 parking spaces.
City planning manager Nick Norris said the project was approved partially under an ordinance passed in 2013 that allows residential parking requirements to drop to one stall per two units. The lowered requirements are granted to mixed-use developments with alternative transportation amenities such as bike racks.
Without the exception, the building would be required to provide more than 50 parking stalls.
High said the booming business district's traffic often bleeds into nearby residential streets, and there's already "strong competition" for on-street parking among shoppers, residents and employees. Some residents often find themselves having to park down the street from their homes, he said.
The building is out of scale, it violates the character of the neighborhood, and it will bring a host of density issues and parking problems.
–Daryl High
"It's already so difficult," said Missy Greis, a resident who lives on 900 East. "Knowing that, I don't understand why the city wouldn't really look at this and require a re-evaluation."
Tessa Arneson, owner of 9th and 9th Pilates, said her clients already complain about limited parking. She worries if the complex is built, it could drive away her clients, as well as those of other nearby businesses.
"It hurts growth rather than helps growth," Arneson said, adding that she and other business owners welcome the development of the aging building, but more needs to be done to address the parking concerns.
"We're not opposed to the development," said Michael Cohn, co-chairman of the East Liberty Park Community Council. "We just want it done responsibly."
Last week, the community council filed an appeal to fight the project. High said if the appeal is denied, the community is prepared to take its case to district court. As of Thursday night, 14 residents have signed on to be part of the appeal and possible litigation.
Nearly 100 residents attended an initial meeting on the issue Feb. 11, with 38 speaking against it. The Planning Commission initially voted to reject the project 5-2.
But now the community is frustrated, High said, because the panel later flipped its decision after the developer filed an appeal, which was approved May 13 with a 4-3 vote during a meeting closed to public comment.
Because of the parking requirement ordinance, "there wasn't much the planning department could do" to address resident concerns, Norris said.
"That's unfortunate, but the developer has a right to those parking standards," he said.
Salt Lake City Councilwoman Erin Mendenhall, who represents the East Liberty community, said she plans to push a fix to the current policy.
"This issue has illustrated a very problematic loophole in the current system, which allows for developers to cut their parking in half for residential units when they include pedestrian amenities," she said.
However, during its meeting Wednesday night, the Planning Commission voted to re-evaluate the ordinance because the 9th and 9th project wasn't the first time such concerns from residents have surfaced, Norris said.
As the matter progresses, the commission's goal is to ensure "all parties are granted their constitutional rights to due process," he said.
Email: kmckellar@deseretnews.com
