Planning Commission

Minutes of the Millcreek Planning Commission August 11, 2025 6:00 p.m. Special Work Meeting The Plaru'iing Commission of Millcreek, Utah, met in a special public work meeting with the Millcreek City Council on August 11, 2025, at City Hall, located at 1330 E. Chambers Avenue, Millcreek, UT 84106. The meeting was recorded for the City's website and had an option for online public comment. PRESENT: Council Members City Staff Jeff Silvestrini, Mayor (excused) Mike Winder, City Manager Silvia Catten, District 1 Elyse Sullivan, City Recorder Thom DeSirant, District 2 Francis Lilly, ASSiStant City Manager Cheri Jackson, District 3 John Brems, City Attorney Bev Uipi, District 4 Kurt Hansen, Facilities Director Rita Lund, Coinmunications Director Carlos Estudillo, Planner Kayla Mayers, Promise Program Director Planning Commissioners: Diane Soule, Dwayne Vance, Christian Larsen, Nils Per Lofgren, Shawn LaMar, Victoria Reid (electronic) Attendees: Peter Frost, James Alfandre, Jordan Dejarnett, Chief Petty-Brown, Laura Renshaw, Jory Walker WORK MEETING - 6:00 p.m. TIME COMMENCED: 6:02 p.m. Mayor Pro Tempore Uipi called the work meeting to order. 1. Joint Planning Commission Meeting: Francis Lilly said there are currently two projects subject to the City Center Overlay Development Agreement Zone (CCOZ-DA) concept, the Villa Vista project and the Millcreek Common East project. As part of the required process, both projects will participate in informal meetings with the Planning Commission and City Council. These meetings, consistent with past practice, are intended to gather initial impressions and provide early guidance to the applicants as they prepare formal submissions. The Villa Vista project is expected to submit its application soon, in time for the September meetings, while the Millcreek Common East project is anticipated to follow with its application the following month. Millcreek Planning Commission Meeting Minutes II August 2025 Page 2 of 5 Carlos Estudillo gave an overview of the CCOZ-DA process. The process provides an opportunity for properties within the zone to pursue flexible development options that may not strictly align with underlying code requirements. A development agreement must be recommended by the Planning Corninission and approved by the City Council, and applicants must meet specific public benefit criteria to qualify. The agreement serves as a tool to enable enhanced design or features not explicitly addressed in the code, provided that the proposal delivers clear priblic benefits. To qualify, a project must meet at least one of several public benefit standards, such as offering enhanced open space (minimum 1,000 square feet or 10% of the lot area), providing publicly accessible parking (at least 100 spaces), or including affordable housing (a minimum of 20% of units priced at or below 80% of the area median income, along with qualification for incentives under the city's affordable housing ordinance). Notably, requests involving signage or building height alone are not eligible for development agreements. The process begins with a pre-application phase, which includes a neighborhood meeting (with residents within 600 feet), a community council meeting (such as the Millcreek Community Council), and a joint work session with the Planning Coinmission and City Council. This phase is designed to gather input, identify potential concerns, and lay the groundwork for a formal application. Following the pre-application, the formal process includes review by the community council, a public hearing and recommendation from the Plaru'iing Cornrnission, and review and adoption by the City Council. Applicants must submit a schematic site plan and address any reasonably anticipated detrimental effects, such as those related to land use conflicts. Development agreements may incorporate design enhancements that serve as alternatives to code-based requirements, including facade modulation, roofline variation, additional open space, balconies, upper-story transparency, diagonal building corners, and architectural treatments that improve the street experience. These enhancements must adequately mitigate potential impacts and align with city goals to qualify for approval. a. The Villa Vista Rowhome Development James Alfandre and Jordan Dejarnett, developers, said with its strong walkability and vibrant energy, the site for this project was deemed particularly well-suited for townhomes and homeownership. The 18 townhomes featuring three- and four-bedroom units and two- car garages are designed to appeal to families. Estudillo showed the council renderings of the building elevations. He said the proposed development is a row house-style townhome project, which differs from the typical mixed- use or apartment-style buildings anticipated in the City Center Overlay Zone. That overlay contains architectural requirements, such as step-backs and fagade articulation, designed primarily for larger, taller buildings to avoid monolithic appearances. To align more closely with the intent of the overlay zone while accommodating the distinct characteristics of townhomes, the applicant has introduced a design featuring predominantly brick fagades with varied colors to enhance visual interest. Located at the corner of Villa Vista and Richrnond, the project includes a required public plaza and chamfered corner treatment, which has been addressed in the building elevations. Mfflcreek Planning Commission Meeting Minutes 11 August 2025 Page 3 of 5 Notably, corner units in Buildings 1 and 2 incorporate brick elements to meet overlay requirements for residential design standards. The townhomes range up to four stories with a maximum height of approximately 46 feet, triggering the need for an additional conditional use permit due to the building height. The need for a development agreement arises because the current code lacks specific guidance for townhome-style developments in this area. Existing requirements, such as 50% ground-floor window glazing and upper-level step-backs, are not easily compatible with row house designs. As the project moves forward through review by the community council, Planning Coinrnission, and City Council, key considerations will include how to appropriately adapt or waive certain architectural standards, such as step-backs and glazing, to better suit the unique characteristics of this townhome product while still achieving the intent of the City Center Overlay. Lilly said from staff's perspective, this project supports broader goals of diversifying the housing mix within Millcreek's City Center. A successful city center caru"iot consist solely of renter-occupied multifamily units or exclusively townhomes; rather, it should reflect a balanced variety of housing types, as outlined in the City Center Master Plan. Notably, this site was previously entitled for a 75-unit, 72-foot-tall multifamily building. In contrast, the proposed townhome development offers a different residential form that contributes to architectural variety and visual interest, particularly along the Villa Vista streetscape. While certain design deviations such as reduced step-backs will need to be addressed through a development agreement, staff does not object to such an agreement in this case, as the project aligns with General Plan goals and introduces a distinctive, ownership- oriented housing option within the evolving city center. Mike Winder said "townhome" and "rowhome" terms can be used interchangeably. Alfandre said the homes would not be starter or luxury homes. Council Member DeSirant expressed concern about owner occupancy. Alfandre said the units would be designed for owner occupancy. John Brems asked if the developer had any objections to a deed restriction. Alfandre said the only deed restrictions he knew of came with a public benefit. Council Member Jackson asked about a plaza. Estudillo highlighted where one would be. Commissioner Larsen recoinmended an English basement to allow for an internal accessory dwelling unit. Alfandre said that had not been considered. Council Member Jackson asked about live/work units. Alfandre said there would be four. Commissioner Soule asked about the neighborhood meeting input. Alfandre said a lot of comments were about the irrigation ditch, and the developers are working with the ditch master. Cornrnissioner Reid asked about balconies or stepbacks to break up the building. Alfandre said there were architectural variations done to the fagade. Cornrnissioner Vance asked about the stepbacks of the previously approved project for the site. Lilly said those stepbacks were 20 feet. b. Millcreek Common East (Hotel, Condominium, Retail, Shared Parking) Millcreek Planning Commission Meeting Minutes 11 August 2025 Page 4 of 5 Lilly said Millcreek Coinmon East refers to the area currently occupied by a parking lot and the SLC gym. As part of a proposed redevelopment, the project team is exploring ways to reconfigure property ownership and incoiporate existing tenants like the Fine Art Inn into the new space. The development aligns with the City Center Master Plan, which emphasizes walkability, reduced internal traffic, and public access to parking. A key component is a 221-stall priblicly accessible parking structure, designed based on a shared parking analysis estimating 180 needed stalls, with additional capacity for overflow parking. Due to the structure's footprint and design constraints, development around it, particularly along Highland Drive, will require careful planning to maintain flexibility in use and massing. The Master Plan also encourages mixed uses, highlighting hotels as important to Utah's tourism economy and advocating for cultural elements like museums and art galleries. The proposed project includes owner-occupied condominiums, a hotel, and retail space, all of which support these goals. Key development agreement items include modifying building step-backs and setbacks along Millcreek Common and formalizing the shared parking arrangement. In exchange for these adjustments, the developer in partnership between the city, a hotel operator, and a condominium developer will deliver enhanced parking, upgraded materials, improved building design, a plaza on Millcreek Common and Chambers Avenue, and a prominent blade sign serving as an entry monument to the area. Winder said the proposed development at Millcreek Common East involves a phased plan coordinated with the completion of a shared parking structure, expected by June 2026. Until then, temporary parking lots to the north and east are in use, with the eastern lot slated for development starting July 1, 2026. The first phase includes relocating Fine Art Iru'i Art Gallery, a longstanding local business, to a temporary space near the old city hall by the end of 2025. In early 2026, the adjacent SLC Strength & Conditioning gym-owned by Hamid Adib-will be renovated as part of a contribution to the broader project. This will enable construction of three key components starting mid-2026: a Hyatt Studios hotel on the corner, a centrally located public parking garage, and a condominium and retail building along the cornrnon. Outbuildings behind the site will be removed to allow surface parking for SLC Strength, and once complete-anticipated in summer 2028 -Fine Art Inn will return as a permanent tenant in the new retail condominium space. The city will retain ownership of the remaining retail and restaurant spaces to ensure curated, vibrant street- level activity aligned with the Millcreek Common vision. The streetscape will also be improved by eliminating an existing traffic island at Chambers Avenue and Highland Drive, creating a larger, more functional corner plaza. The design includes public loading zones for hotel use, access to both public parking and a separate underground garage for condo residents, mirroring the design approach used for police and city vehicles on the opposite side of Chambers at city hall. Due to tight site constraints, angled parking along the eastern woonerf of the Cornrnon will be removed but replaced by structured parking. Additional design modifications, such as reduced building overhangs and relocating a transformer, will allow for a more visually striking corner entry and greater pedestrian comfort. The development will feature sidewalk seating, activated ground-floor retail, and restaurant space-carefully selected to contribute to a lively, community-focused environment, rather than conventional office uses. Winder then explained and described the proposed site while showing the proposed plans and a video of the rendered building elevation. =' Millcreek Planning Commission Meeting Minutes 11 August 2025 Page 5 of 5 Commissioner Vance asked about the height of the building. Lilly said it would be 74 feet tall on the west side and 62 feet on Highland Drive. Jory Walker, Principal Architect for Beecher Walker Architects, said this project presents a complex design challenge due to the integration of multiple building types, each with differing requirements, within a single site. The development includes a hotel with 10-foot floor-to-floor heights, a condominium component requiring 12-foot floors, and a shared parking structure, all of which demand separate entrances and circulation systems. Coordinating these elements has required extensive plaru'iing, including the design of multiple stair towers and unique circulation paths to ensure proper exiting and functionality. Further complicating the project is the site's 12-foot elevation change, which affects building levels and access points. For example, the condo plaza is positioned approximately six feet higher than the hotel plaza, providing a natural separation and elevated views for condo residents. The hotel itself will be Hyatt Studios, a brand with specific design standards that limit architectural customization to maintain brarxd consistency. While some minor modifications are possible, the overall look must align with Hyatt's identity. A'fter months of careful coordination and problem-solving, the project is finally taking shape and is expected to be an exciting, well-integrated development. Commissioner LaMar recommended maintaining the north and south turns onto Highland Drive from Millcreek Common. He also suggested a sign on the road median. Commissioner Soule asked about a traffic signal onto Highland Drive. Council Member Uipi acknowledged the excess of traffic and difficulty turning onto Highland Drive. Winder noted when Chambers Avenue went through to Richrnond, the traffic worild open up, but a light could not go in due proximity to other signals on Highland Drive. Lilly said a traffic study with Fehr and Peers was conducted but it did not recommend anything other than a dedicated left and right turn onto Highland Drive, but the consultant would be reevaluating traffic impacts based on this use. Winder requested the council's and commission's input on the project via email. 2. Staff Reports There were no reports. 3. Discussion of Agenda Items, Correspondence, and/or Future Agenda Items There was none. Council Member Jackson moved to adjourn the work meeting at 7:02 p.m. Council Member DeSirant seconded. Mayor Pro Temp Uipi called for the vote. Council Member Catten voted yes, Council Member DeSirant voted yes, Council Member Jackson voted yes, and Council Membe,rUPiRpiOv,,oteDd:yes. TJ4pass2;iManim,ousDlya.te q /,,, Shawn LaMar, Chair Z Attest: Elyse'n, Recorder