Salt Lake:Official development news thread - Part 2

[farmerboy]

Originally Posted by arkhitektor

I've never understood what people mean when they say a building is not 'human scaled' It seems like a phrase that architects just use when they want to talk above people.

To me "human scale" means architectural elements such as windows, doors, etc. dictating the scale of the building. When buildings lack designations like these, it's often hard to tell how big a buildings is judging by it's exterior unless you have something to compare it to. For instance in the rendering provided by Stenar, I have a hard time gauging how large this building is, or how many floors it is at first glance. It does look like an iceburg as the name suggests, but as a human being I don't relate to this building. I think it's cool as a piece of art, but I think it reads as a stand-alone object and relates very little if at all to it's immediate surroundings.



Whereas a building like the First Security Building I can gauge it's size by human scaled elements (Windows) repeated throughout. It's obvious this structure was designed to be occupied by humans because each floor of it is specifically designed to the scale of a human being. (This is how I would define it, others may have a different definition)

[delts145]

I think that's reasonable farmerboy, and makes a lot of sense.

South Salt Lake to spruce up neighborhood

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/51522788-78/lake-salt-south-burton.html.csp#

A South Salt Lake neighborhood will get a new look for spring, with a helping hand from the city and dozens of volunteers.

The Burton Place neighborhood, bordered by Main Street, Interstate 80, West Temple and 2700 South, is the first recipient of South Salt Lake’s Community Connection project. The city plans to use funds from its federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to focus on a new section of the city each year, said Glenn Smith, director of Urban Livability...

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[Jasonhouse]

Originally Posted by NYC Rick

Thank you farmer boy!

The moderators have a way sensitive spirit in determining what fits their taste.

If that is the way it is on here then I will go with it. I DO get the feeling that the moderators are basking in the light of "oh yes, we really have a clue and we really dislike the bi directional discord even if it is light and harmless."

Then again, this is a wonderful board of discourse and
far more important a great area to prognosticate a future with discussion. This is a really fine board! Yes... grouped with some slightly myopic moderators and members(I am not
excluding myself)but with really insightful positives of the board that really outweigh feather weight determination.

You will not be warned again to stay on-topic.

If either of you cannot abide by the forum's rules, then you shouldn't have stated that you would do so when you signed up for your membership. ALL members will fully comply with the Terms Of Service, else they will be forcibly removed from the community.

[Future Mayor]

Originally Posted by Jasonhouse

You will not be warned again to stay on-topic.

If either of you cannot abide by the forum's rules, then you shouldn't have stated that you would do so when you signed up for your membership. ALL members will fully comply with the Terms Of Service, else they will be forcibly removed from the community.

As has been mentioned many times, the discussion of NYC WAS ON TOPIC. Are we not allowed to complain when we feel overly censored?

[tygr]

Originally Posted by Jasonhouse

You will not be warned again to stay on-topic.

If either of you cannot abide by the forum's rules, then you shouldn't have stated that you would do so when you signed up for your membership. ALL members will fully comply with the Terms Of Service, else they will be forcibly removed from the community.

I have gone back and read the conversations about NYC and also feel that it was a sincere discussion of how SLC and NYC compare, the advantages and disadvantages of both.

While some in the forums are actually involved in influencing development in SLC; others are observers trying to see progress, new ideas, and share concepts of how we can improve our cities.

I know that it is my hope, that I can in some small way help influence future development by discussing ideas, challenges, opportunities and comparisons.

Please don't hit the "kill switch" on a few members if a page or two has discussion that also includes other regions.

[s.p.hansen]

Originally Posted by UTPlanner

The height restrictions for the Downtown Zones were not given accurately earlier. If you want the info right from the source here is a link to the SLC Zoning Code: http://www.sterlingcodifiers.com/codebook/index.php?book_id=672

Click on 21A Zoning, and then 21A.30 which will give you all of the information you would like to know about SLC's zoning districts. There are 4 of them by the way.

This is the lamest thing ever.

Central Business District

6. Height Regulations: No corner building shall be less than one hundred feet (100') nor more than three hundred seventy five feet (375') in height. The minimum one hundred foot (100') high portion of the building shall be located not further than five feet (5') from the lot line along front and corner lot lines. Buildings higher than three hundred seventy five feet (375') may be allowed in accordance with the provisions of subsections E6a and E6b of this section.

a. Conditions For Taller Corner Buildings: Corner buildings may exceed the three hundred seventy five foot (375') height limit provided they conform to the following requirements:

(1) To minimize excessive building mass at higher elevations and preserve scenic views, some or all of the building mass over the three hundred seventy five foot (375') height level shall be subject to additional setback, as determined appropriate through the conditional use approval process.

To minimize scenic views?! Seriously? Our city is backwards and it isn't just the crazies in the State Capital's fault.

Our scenic view is the mediocrity of the entire Wasatch Front. This reasoning assumes it's really rare to have said Wasatch view like the view of the San Francisco Bay.

This view of the mountains gets in your face and climbs to heights that no supertall thus far can block and it extends from Ogden to Provo.

Can we just outsource our zoning to the folks in Denver?


I recognize there are ways around the height restrictions, but why are we even making people play games with this 375' thing anyway?

[Future Mayor]

It's obviously pretty easy to get around it considering Wells Fargo is 422'.

I do agree though that it's ridiculous to have a number of 375' assigned to it with certain conditional use exceptions. I would rather have no height restrictions but include set back requirements at certain heights. Then again this would have resulted in the Wells Fargo Tower not having it's flat front on Main St, which I really like. It would however create more interesting skyscraper designs, with multiple set backs as they get taller, not so boxy. Or they could implement that if the tower will not be straight up on all sides, such as WF, that one side does not require set backs.

For instance Key Tower, one of my favorite buildings, has multiple set backs as it rises to 949'. However the middle section of the front of the building does not step back until around the 40 something floor.


Image courtesy of emporis

I don't have a problem with the minimums for mid-block buildings and I like how they have the ability to make an exception with buying the air rights from adjacent corner buildings, as they did with The Regent and Deseret Bank bldg (First Security). This does allow for the varying heights along a street, and breaks up the canyon feel a little bit.

[s.p.hansen]

Originally Posted by Future Mayor

It's obviously pretty easy to get around it considering Wells Fargo is 422'.

I do agree though that it's ridiculous to have a number of 375' assigned to it with certain conditional use exceptions. I would rather have no height restrictions but include set back requirements at certain heights. Then again this would have resulted in the Wells Fargo Tower not having it's flat front on Main St, which I really like. It would however create more interesting skyscraper designs, with multiple set backs as they get taller, not so boxy. Or they could implement that if the tower will not be straight up on all sides, such as WF, that one side does not require set backs.

We are on the same page. Set back requirements are fine, but some arbitrary number like 375' for a max height limit preference is a total embarrassment. It's as though our city officials aspire for Salt Lake City to be a more mixed use and transit friendly San Jose.

"Our vision for Salt Lake is the image of an overgrown tech park to keep our 'pristine' view, but if you really want to, I guess you can build a taller building." Having height limits like this is not green at all, it's elitist.

[WASDEN]

I don't know why they bother writing these "height restrictions" into zoning since developers are almost always granted an exception anyway. I believe several exceptions were granted for City Creek buildings. So I wouldn't sweat it, if a developer really wants to build something taller all they got to do is pony up the cash and get their exception granted.

[Jasonhouse]

Originally Posted by Future Mayor

As has been mentioned many times, the discussion of NYC WAS ON TOPIC. Are we not allowed to complain when we feel overly censored?

Not in the midst of an ongoing discussion, please no. Think of the thousands of readers who come into a discussion such as this over time. They're not going to want to see that drama, they just want to know what's going on, and what other people think. You guys are expectedly worried about your individual posts, but I'm worried about presenting what amounts to a real-time journal of your city's urban evolution over the span of years.



Any queries about forum policy involving a personal or disciplinary situation are best resolved by directly PMing the people actually making the policy. Namely the Admins. And especially me, since I've generally been the forum's rule writer for the past several years. Generalized forum issues are almost certainly already covered in an existing thread in the Forum Issues subforum found near the bottom of the Forum Index page. (some call this the forum's main page or home page)


With regards to the issue that prompted my presence in this thread, it has since been resolved, and I'm sure that from here on out, this thread will be even better than it was before. I know that I've been following SLC's urban progress for several years now with quiet amazement.


And yes, all of these off-topic posts, including this one, will soon be deleted.

[WeST]

Originally Posted by Jasonhouse

Not in the midst of an ongoing discussion, please no. Think of the thousands of readers who come into a discussion such as this over time. They're not going to want to see that drama, they just want to know what's going on, and what other people think. You guys are expectedly worried about your individual posts, but I'm worried about presenting what amounts to a real-time journal of your city's urban evolution over the span of years.

Shouldn't that journal also chronicle how those in the Salt Lake Community are influenced by other cities? What kind of story leaves out how the community views itself and how it would like to learn/incorporate other principles and practices.

I think the heavy-handedness should be reconsidered, which I believe is unnecessary, damaging and ultimately unhealthy for promoting page views (I'm guessing the latter is important to this forum considering it has ads for all of us to see.)

[delts145]

Ground broken for new U. student housing


http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705369650/Ground-broken-for-new-U-student-housing.html

SALT LAKE CITY — A groundbreaking ceremony was held Wednesday for the new honors residential community at the University of Utah.

The Donna Garff Marriott Honors Residential Scholars Community will house students in the University of Utah's Honors College.

The first phase of the 161,000-square-foot structure will be at the corner of Mario Capecchi and South Campus drives. It's expected to house 310 students and resident advisers. It will have a commons area and meeting places...


Artist's rendering of the Donna Garff Marriott Honors Residential Scholars Community. (University of Utah Honors College)

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[delts145]

Utes to bulk up football facilities

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/utes/51519106-89/center-football-stadium-utah.html.csp#

Utah football coach Kyle Whittingham likes to show off the University of Utah’s stadium, the indoor practice facility and the weight room to recruits. But when the tour stops at the football offices and team complex, he prefers to show them a bit of the future and not the present...


rendering courtesy University of Utah This rendering shows the University of Utah's new Football Facility.


rendering courtesy University of Utah This rendering shows the Hall of Fame at the University of Utah's new Football Facility.


rendering courtesy University of Utah This rendering shows the dining hall and pation at the University of Utah's new Football Facility.

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[Sight-Seer]

jasonhouse,

Speaking of chronicles, whatever happened to "Salt Lake:Official development news thread - Part 1"?

[SLC Projects]

Originally Posted by Sight-Seer

jasonhouse,

Speaking of chronicles, whatever happened to "Salt Lake:Official development news thread - Part 1"?

Or the original City Creek Center thread?

[Orlando]

Utahs-pollution-problem-Small-steps-making-positive-impact-for-air-quality
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/70012...ositive-impact-for-air-quality.html?pg=1



This is a good article, except that no one mentions a pretty obvious way to reduce smog, which is to not SPRAWL!!!!. It obviously creates more vehicle emissions!!

[WASDEN]

Agreed Orlando!
I read that article too and had to laugh at the online reader comments! Most commentors seemed to think air polution was somebody elses fault (Kennecott, Frontrunner trains...), not one of them considered that maybe driving their SUV 30 miles one way to work from the exurbs might be a factor.

[tygr]

Not to be religious, but what do you think the pioneers would think if they same this same view? I think they'd be disgusted. I would love to see this same view from their time... a very large majestic valley covered in snow.

That's why I love getting to our backcountry... to envision a glimpse of what those before us saw 100+ years ago.

How sad.

[s.p.hansen]

Brigham Young

You are here commencing anew . . . . The soil, the air, the water are all pure and healthy. Do not suffer them to become polluted with wickedness. Strive to preserve the elements from being contaminated by the filthy, wicked conduct and sayings of those who pervert the intelligence God has bestowed upon the human family.

We should love the earth. We should love the works which God has made.

Let me love the world as He loves it, to make it beautiful, and glorify the name of my Father in heaven. It does not matter whether I or anybody else owns it, if we only work to beautify it and make it glorious, it is all right.

[Orlando]

Originally Posted by s.p.hansen

Brigham Young

Wow! Those are some very good quotes! I agree wholeheartedly! I think most people want the same thing... to make what we have "beautiful". It's just that a lot of those people are unaware or ignorant of the damage that sprawl has on our environment. And, if they have been told that sprawl is not good, they probably categorize those anti-sprawl people as "liberal environmentalists".