Salt Lake City: Official Development News Thread - Part 5

[Makid]

Originally Posted by Ironweed

This is a well thought out proposal. Intelligent, and would work if implemented.

On another note; Believe it or not, some decision makers do read posts here. I have always been a fan of quality commercial development. Having lived in Chicago, I was a bit spoiled. Living in Utah has made me feel naked at times. It's very different than what I am used to. I do like bigger cities.

Why not move? Because my business is here. The tax benefits currently are much better than many larger metro areas.

I suppose in my aberrant way, I hope to affect change in SLC city for a bigger city feel. I know that SLC will never be a Chicago or LA. It does not need to nor should be. Yet it has too small of a downtown for a CSA of it's size.

Projections are to add another 3,000,000 people along the Wasatch Front. Where are you going to put them? In single family homes? The mindset here often baffles me and I make fun of it.

So, feel free to call me out when I take pot shots. As long as I'm a resident, I'll call for change in my own annoying way. 😝

Thanks. I have sent some of my suggestions (zoning, transportation, transit expansion/funding, etc.) to the power that be and their staff at both City, County and State levels depending on the topics.

Also, I did move within the last year specifically to SLC so that I could help drive some changes as constituents matter more than Average Joe with an idea and an email.

I do know from the various responses that I have received that there are some heavy planning meetings happening for how to handle the projected growth in the next 20 years.

We have been hearing a lot in the news about the Transit and Transportation planning that has been going on. It is specifically designed to figure out how to fund the various projects, particularly the Transit projects, faster so they can work on part 2 which is the Town Center concept.

The Town Center concept is the next step forward from TODs. They will be served by at least 2 forms of fixed transit (FrontRunner, Trax, Streetcar or BRT) and then by high frequency bus routes. They are planned and designed to be secondary downtown locations with some commercial but more residential and retail.

The Town Center concept is most likely going to be forced on Utah County and Southern SL County by the State. The State is aware that endless sprawl isn't sustainable from both a livability standpoint but also from a water standpoint.

Also, because of the growth, the State will be looking into ways to help increase the number of affordable housing units (Apartments and Condos). This is starting to be done to help address the Homeless issues not just within SLC but also along the Wasatch Front.

[asies1981]

On a side note, a new report shows that Salt Lake is the top out-of-state relocation destination for San Franciscans.

[AllOutOfBubbleGum]

Originally Posted by asies1981

On a side note, a new report shows that Salt Lake is the top out-of-state relocation destination for San Franciscans.

No wonder home prices are up. These San Fran State town people think 400 thousand is a great price for a 1968 Rambler of 1500 square feet.

[Liberty Wellsian]

Why not?

A shuttle from downtown to Rotary park in City Creek Canyon, a tram from Rotary to Cottonwood gulch, a number of lifts to runs surrounding Grandview and lookout peaks. It would be super fun in the summer time too for views and mountain biking.

http://wasatchsolo.blogspot.com/2013...anyon.html?m=1

http://cedarandsand.blogspot.com/201...creek.html?m=1

[Mountain man]

Originally Posted by Liberty Wellsian

Why not?

A shuttle from downtown to Rotary park in City Creek Canyon, a tram from Rotary to Cottonwood gulch, a number of lifts to runs surrounding Grandview and lookout peaks. It would be super fun in the summer time too for views and mountain biking.

http://wasatchsolo.blogspot.com/2013...anyon.html?m=1

http://cedarandsand.blogspot.com/201...creek.html?m=1

I am honestly shocked that Salt Lake doesn't run a gandola ride from the city up into the top of one of the mountains. Kind of like what Albuquerque has. I bet that would be a killer attraction, especially in the winter.

[jubguy3]

Originally Posted by Mountain man

I am honestly shocked that Salt Lake doesn't run a gandola ride from the city up into the top of one of the mountains. Kind of like what Albuquerque has. I bet that would be a killer attraction, especially in the winter.

Doesn't City Creek Canyon have some sort of watershed protection? Also... this is just my own opinion... citycreek canyon is one of the best running and biking locations in the Salt Lake valley. If you are at all a runner or cyclist and haven't been up CC Canyon, you're missing out. SLC has done an amazing job of protecting and maintaining the canyon. The beauty of the tree canopies on a fall day is unmatched... and untouched by traffic. I would hate to see the canyon become a "destination", at the expense of sounding like a NIMBY. That being said skiing within a couple miles of downtown would be awesome, but I think the kind of recreation pertaining to what people do in CC Canyon isn't necessarily dependent on infrastructure - and I think it should stay that way.

[Liberty Wellsian]

Originally Posted by jubguy3

Doesn't City Creek Canyon have some sort of watershed protection? Also... this is just my own opinion... citycreek canyon is one of the best running and biking locations in the Salt Lake valley. If you are at all a runner or cyclist and haven't been up CC Canyon, you're missing out. SLC has done an amazing job of protecting and maintaining the canyon. The beauty of the tree canopies on a fall day is unmatched... and untouched by traffic. I would hate to see the canyon become a "destination", at the expense of sounding like a NIMBY. That being said skiing within a couple miles of downtown would be awesome, but I think the kind of recreation pertaining to what people do in CC Canyon isn't necessarily dependent on infrastructure - and I think it should stay that way.

Yes but I'm pretty sure it just means you can't take your dog up there. I'm sure there is more but I don't see this as a problem. (could be wrong)

No parking and end car traffic(currently every other day). Walk, Bike, or take the tram/gondola/shuttle/whatever. A gondola and shuttle would not be intrusive. As a resident I would find it convenenient to get further up the canyon to explore and hike. Further there are a lot of people who lack the mobility to climb a mountain. I think it would be huge positive for locals as well as visitors.

yes way up there beyond where most people currently go(and beyond where many can) you would have a busy Basin in the winter but snowmobiles go up there now. I'll take the skiers.

[Utah_Dave]

Originally Posted by Mountain man

I am honestly shocked that Salt Lake doesn't run a gandola ride from the city up into the top of one of the mountains. Kind of like what Albuquerque has. I bet that would be a killer attraction, especially in the winter.

Im baffled that the Ogden gondola was scrapped up to Snow Basin! There was a lot of opposition to it. I think a gondola from the Weber State area up to snow basin, or near 30th would have been a miracle for Ogden. A real shame it didn't work out. I believe they intended for it to start from the down town area and I think that would have been too much and excessively long. Weber State up would be perfect. Parking lots are already in place. A true missed opportunity.

I know I know,

Wrong thread but I had to throw that in

[jubguy3]

Originally Posted by Liberty Wellsian

No parking and end car traffic(currently every other day). A gondola and shuttle would not be intrusive. As a resident I would find it convenenient to get further up the canyon to explore and hike. Further there are a lot of people who lack the mobility to climb a mountain. I think it would be huge positive for locals as well as visitors.

The only vehicles that use CC are service vehicles for the water treatment plant... bike traffic is banned every other day beyond the gate. If the city isn't letting bikes up the canyon I don't imagine they want a gondola.

It's not "climbing a mountain". It's a paved road with a gentle gradient. I would rather have an unobstructed and pristine CC than a more accessible CC Canyon... If you can't get up the path, you should stick to the section between Memory Grove and bonneview drive. No other city in the united states has anything close to what City Creek Canyon offers and I think we should protect the canyon, not develop it.

No other city Has this within a mile and a half of the city center. I would hate to see CC Canyon become an attraction.

[Liberty Wellsian]

Originally Posted by jubguy3

The only vehicles that use CC are service vehicles for the water treatment plant... bike traffic is banned every other day beyond the gate. If the city isn't letting bikes up the canyon I don't imagine they want a gondola.

It's not "climbing a mountain". It's a paved road with a gentle gradient. I would rather have an unobstructed and pristine CC than a more accessible CC Canyon... If you can't get up the path, you should stick to the section between Memory Grove and bonneview drive. No other city in the united states has anything close to what City Creek Canyon offers and I think we should protect the canyon, not develop it.

No other city Has this within a mile and a half of the city center. I would hate to see CC Canyon become an attraction.

You are wrong. I drove my car up there last september. They don't allow bikes because it isn't safe to share that road with cars.

I wouldn't want to develop it either(it's NF so you can't anyway). Downtown is the lodge/hotel etc. All you need is a bathroom facility in a small visitors center way past where you ride your bike(like a rangers station)Everything else is downtown.

edit:btw they close the road to bikers every other day so that people with limited mobility can access the canyon in their cars.

[Pencil]

Has there been any recent news or updates on the regent street hotel? I really want that to happen, it would look really good if built. I also just recently made an account on this website since I found out there were other people who liked stuff like this lol

[airportvids]

Originally Posted by Pencil

Has there been any recent news or updates on the regent street hotel? I really want that to happen, it would look really good if built. I also just recently made an account on this website since I found out there were other people who liked stuff like this lol

Just like with just about every other high rise proposal in the city, it's likely dead.

[delts145]

Interesting feature article in 'Politico' earlier this year. In case you missed it, here's the link: http://www.politico.com/magazine/sto...lanning-214652

Excerpts - Imagine getting 90 municipalities in 10 counties in one of the nation’s fastest growing regions to get on board for a 20-year land use planning effort intended to conserve water use, promote clean air and avoid the destruction of open spaces by slashing housing lot sizes, encouraging higher-density development and imposing new taxes to build a light rail network and commuter rail system from scratch. Imagine that it worked so well the effort expanded statewide.

You might assume it must have started in a liberal bastion like Portland, Oregon or Burlington, Vermont, where people are proud to be tree huggers and planning isn’t a dirty word. But the most ambitious and successful long-term land-use planning effort in American history is happening in ultra-conservative Utah, a state with powerful ranching, mining and energy interests and a reflexive distrust of top-down government solutions. And it was led not by state officials, but by a bipartisan alliance of business, industrial, religious, political and civic leaders, working from plans crowd-sourced from tens of thousands of Utah citizens and executed on a completely voluntary basis by their local governments...

... The results have been impressive: Per capita water use has been cut by more than a quarter and air emissions slashed by nearly half, while 300 square miles of rural and open land have been spared from development. Automobile use has actually dropped slightly in terms of vehicle miles travelled, even as the region’s population has increased by a third, thanks to what is one of the largest transit rail systems per capita in the country. Taxpayers have saved billions in avoided infrastructure spending and maintenance and Envision Utah has been feted by city planners across the country as a model for how to do things right. Envision staff have traveled across the country, providing advice to groups in Detroit and Omaha, North Carolina’s Piedmont Triangle and North Dakota’s Oil Sands, Yellowstone and Eastern Oregon...


The TRAX light rail has a daily ridership of 67,300, providing service to much of Salt Lake City and many of its suburbs. | Mark Peterson/Redux Pictures for Politico Magazine

.

[ajiuO]

Originally Posted by Pencil

Has there been any recent news or updates on the regent street hotel? I really want that to happen, it would look really good if built. I also just recently made an account on this website since I found out there were other people who liked stuff like this lol

I think the rapidly declining convention market in salt lake scared the developers of a few large projects away.

[delts145]

Would appreciate some actual stats on that. Is there an article that states that future bookings are down, or are they actually replacing the OR with smaller conventions that will actually add up to a year over year increase? After all, Utah in general is experiencing a deluge of tourism. Skier visits are up again this past season, and Utah's National Parks, Monuments and National Recreation Areas are having a challenging time keeping up with the demand. So much so, that I understand that they are seriously considering visits to Zions as reservations only. Maybe it's already official. Also, isn't it true that hotel bookings are also doing well?

[ajiuO]

So it looks like they are still working on the discoloration on Vivint... for what ever reason they just fixed the sign before they were done... they must be scrambling to get it done... I still hate how they made the new lobby less grand, but I guess it’s better then nothing.


Here is NW 300 W & North Temple

[Orlando]

Originally Posted by delts145

Interesting feature article in 'Politico' earlier this year. In case you missed it, here's the link: http://www.politico.com/magazine/sto...lanning-214652

Excerpts - Imagine getting 90 municipalities in 10 counties in one of the nation’s fastest growing regions to get on board for a 20-year land use planning effort intended to conserve water use, promote clean air and avoid the destruction of open spaces by slashing housing lot sizes, encouraging higher-density development and imposing new taxes to build a light rail network and commuter rail system from scratch. Imagine that it worked so well the effort expanded statewide.

You might assume it must have started in a liberal bastion like Portland, Oregon or Burlington, Vermont, where people are proud to be tree huggers and planning isn’t a dirty word. But the most ambitious and successful long-term land-use planning effort in American history is happening in ultra-conservative Utah, a state with powerful ranching, mining and energy interests and a reflexive distrust of top-down government solutions. And it was led not by state officials, but by a bipartisan alliance of business, industrial, religious, political and civic leaders, working from plans crowd-sourced from tens of thousands of Utah citizens and executed on a completely voluntary basis by their local governments...

... The results have been impressive: Per capita water use has been cut by more than a quarter and air emissions slashed by nearly half, while 300 square miles of rural and open land have been spared from development. Automobile use has actually dropped slightly in terms of vehicle miles travelled, even as the region’s population has increased by a third, thanks to what is one of the largest transit rail systems per capita in the country. Taxpayers have saved billions in avoided infrastructure spending and maintenance and Envision Utah has been feted by city planners across the country as a model for how to do things right. Envision staff have traveled across the country, providing advice to groups in Detroit and Omaha, North Carolina’s Piedmont Triangle and North Dakota’s Oil Sands, Yellowstone and Eastern Oregon...


The TRAX light rail has a daily ridership of 67,300, providing service to much of Salt Lake City and many of its suburbs. | Mark Peterson/Redux Pictures for Politico Magazine

.

That's a great article. Thanks for sharing. I think Envision Utah is quite remarkable. Utah should be commended for all the regional rail that has been built. Though, I think there is huge amount of improvement. Way, way too much sprawl, and not much intervention to stop it. Our downtown is stagnant right now despite all the developments by the LDS church. Too much rampant unurban growth in Lehi/Draper that pulls away building the metro's urban core, which is still embarrassingy small and surrounded with blight.

[i-215]

Thank heaven for the sprawl. Some of us can't afford $5k/mo. apartments downtown.

(Both are important; a city shouldn't be 100% sprawl nor 0% sprawl)

[Orlando]

Yes, but the Wasatch Front is 75% sprawl and the downtown core is not very vibrant for the metro of its size. Most everything is car-centric and not very pedestrian and urban friendly.

[Liberty Wellsian]

Originally Posted by i-215

Thank heaven for the sprawl. Some of us can't afford $5k/mo. apartments downtown.

(Both are important; a city shouldn't be 100% sprawl nor 0% sprawl)

apples and oranges

Downtown urban development is nowhere near the only developmebt alternative to sprawl. When I think sprawl I think of low density, near or totally sf homes, on the periphery. I really don't think we need to do that right now to combat home prices/rent. The major shortage right now isn't actually land it is construction labor. Further there is still a lot that could be opened up within the already developed part of the metro by relaxing nimby zoning. I really don't think we need sprawl as the already developed portion of our CSA is nowhere near its potential capacity.