Neighborhood Districts

Neighborhood District 5 Meeting – November 20, 2024 Link to meeting slides: 638677141630970000 Link to YouTube video: Neighborhood District 5 Meeting 11/20/2024 City Councilors in attendance: Craig Christensen, Becky Bogdin, Rachel Whipple. District 5 Board Members in attendance: Erik Davis, David Harding, Shannon Bingham, Daniel Friend, Laura Leavitt, Leo Lines (Zoom), Jason Ream. Total attendees: 65 (56 in person, 9 on Zoom). Conducting: Neighborhood District 5 Vice Chair Daniel Friend. Provo Power Tree Grant and 1,000 Trees Program – presented by City Forester Chaz Addis. Provo Power obtained a $370,000 grant for trees, waterwise landscapes, and waterwise irrigation in underserved areas in Provo (Dixon, Franklin South, East Bay, Maeser, and other neighborhoods). They’ve planted 112 trees (53 trees in parks) and December 2027 is the deadline. Trees can be planted in front yards or park strips and the trees are two inches around (not small saplings). Resident concerns and answers from the City Forester: • Can we have trees planted in Maeser Park and Memorial Park? – Yes. • How do we contact you about where we want trees planted? – Residents can contact the City Forester with ideas of where to plant trees and to participate in tree planting projects by calling 311 (Customer Service) or 801-852-6920 (Provo Power) and mentioning the Forestry Fire & State Lands grant for planting trees. • Who do we talk to about trimming trees? – Call 311 so the request can be sent to the correct Forestry Supervisor. They’ll go out and determine if the lines in question belong to Provo Power, but they do not identify nor maintain communication lines. Residents should not trim the park strip trees themselves – they can call 311 to put in a request for park strip tree pruning (do not cut any lines yourself). Please be patient with tree trimming requests – the city only has 12 employees to take care of 30,000 trees in the parks, 15,000 trees in park strips, plus trees in the utility forest. Additional information: • Link to Underserved Communities Map (trees from this grant can be planted in the shaded areas): Explore the map - Climate & Economic Justice Screening Tool • Link to information about the Thousand Trees Initiative: Thousand Trees Initiative | City of Provo, UT Architect Jeff Knighton presents proposed Ordinance Text Amendments to Sections 14.21A.070 (Building Height) and 14.21A.090 (Minimum and Average Residential Size) to adjust standards in the DT1 (General Downtown) Zone. This is a citywide application, but specifically pertains to the former Bill Harris Music lot in the Downtown Neighborhood. The proposed code would apply the Center Street minimum unit size regulations to University Ave in the DT1 Zone to create more variety in unit sizes (allow smaller unit sizes). The proposed code would also increase the building height based on the number of units for sale (current height maximum is 100 feet, this would increase that to 180 feet). Still in the early stages, but looking at a mix of senior assisted living, student apartments, family apartments, studio apartments, and for sale condominiums. Resident concerns and answers from Architect: • What’s the unit size? – Was an average of 800 square feet, proposed code would allow an average of 500 square feet (studio apartments). • Will the ground floor be commercial? – Code says mixed use, not ground floor commercial. • What about parking? – They’re looking at doing a parking structure for the Bill Harris Music lot. • Does for sale mean owner occupied? – No. The language in the proposed code is “units for sale,” not “owner occupied.”  • How many floors? – Looking at about 120 feet for the Bill Harris Music lot, but the code would allow up to 180 feet (17 floors). If you build to that height, you must provide enough parking. • What do you want to do on the ground floor? – A lot of brownstone style residences, amenities, some corner commercial spots. The City Planner explained that removing “first floor commercial” is already covered in the “mixed use” code. • What about landscaping? – City code requires landscaping. • If you only build to 100 feet, would you still have for sale units? – Yes. • Will the building height obscure the view of the Provo Temple when going over the viaduct? – Yes. • Are there step-back requirements? – There are on Center Street, but not University Avenue. Their planned height is mid-block, not right on University Avenue. • Why student apartments? – They’re a demographic that’s short on housing, it’s close to the BRT and Frontrunner lines, and within walking distance to stores. • Some residents showed support for this project at this location. • What housing studies have been done in Provo lately to show what type of housing is needed? – No study per se, but they’re looking at a range of housing types, wants senior housing near the Provo Temple. • Would these proposed height changes apply to the whole zone? – Yes, the entire DT1 Zone (the proposed smaller unit sizes only apply along Center Street and University Avenue). Remember that the higher you build, the more parking you need to supply. • How many people will live in the project? What about traffic? – No occupancy numbers yet and parking is according to city code. • Is this one or many buildings? – Many buildings with mid-block alleys and connections. • Can you propose height incentives for smaller units, not just for sale units? – Difficult with current city code. Additional information: • More information in the Staff Report: 638665105550170000 • Questions about this project? Contact City Planner Aaron Ardmore at (801) 852-6404 or aardmore@provo.org (reference planning application PLOTA20240308). • This item will go before the Planning Commission on Wednesday, December 11th at 6:00 PM in the City Hall Council Chambers. This item will then go before the City Council on Tuesday, January 14th at 5:30 PM in the City Hall Council Chambers. Link to Planning Commission meeting agenda: Planning Commission | Planning Commission | City of Provo, UT Property Owner Natalie Tanner presents a possible rezone from Residential (R1.6) to Commercial at 318 W 500 S to build a bakery across from the White Shanty Venue in the Franklin Neighborhood. This is a very preliminary plan (nothing has been submitted to the city yet) – looking for feedback and ideas from the community. Currently owns the White Shanty event venue and recently bought the property across the street (was a home, now an empty lot). The proposed bakery would supply parking for the White Shanty. Resident concerns and answers from the Property Owner and the City Planner: • What zone should she apply for? What is an ITOD Zone? – The General Plan, Franklin Plan, and Station Area Plan show this area as residential use. Could do a General Commercial Zone or Transit Oriented Development Zone, or Mixed Use Zone. • Do the plans call for this area to be residential? – Yes. • Why do the three plans show the best use as residential? Wouldn’t it be better as Commercial? Can the plans be changed? – Really want to make sure that Downtown doesn’t creep into residential areas. • Many residents showed support for corner stores and bakeries in residential areas, especially if there’s going to be an upstairs apartment. • Suggestion for bike parking (close to the bike way, bike intersection, Frontrunner, and Amtrak stations).  • What about traffic and pedestrian safety? – Need to work with Provo City Engineering to stripe the crosswalk. Planning to have one way in and one way out of the bakery. • Can you add street trees for traffic calming? – Need to work with Provo City Engineering. • Why are there warehouses in the residential area? – Currently legally non-conforming (grandfathered in). • Many residents who live close by are concerned about changing from residential to commercial, that the bakery will be mostly paved parking, that it’s just an excuse for parking for the White Shanty, that the bakery prices would be too expensive for the neighborhood, that the business will fail and they’ll be a lot of different owners, no business in the area has thrived, visitors for White Shanty park in the neighborhood and block people’s driveways. • Request to reform R1.6 Zone to allow corner bakeries and corner stores. • Request for self-policing of parking in the neighborhoods because of the White Shanty events. Provo School District Update – Provo School Board’s Teri McCabe. Please see meeting slides. Residents were for moving Timpanogos Elementary to the Dixon Middle School site (large site for a school) and against it (cost of building another school when Timpanogos Elementary is only 15 years old). The School District is in the middle of doing feasibility and boundary studies. Traffic study results for 500 West 1200 South in the Franklin South Neighborhood. Please see meeting slides. Traffic study results for 800 East in the Joaquin Neighborhood (Memorial Park). Please see meeting slides. Residents were surprised the speeds were so low. Residents came up with ideas for traffic calming. Provo City Traffic Manager says there is no need for traffic calming at this location. Possible Matching Grant Idea (Rob Slater) – trees in planter boxes in front of the Asian Market on 500 West & Center Street. Residents were in favor of Rob Slater applying for another matching grant. Public Comment: • Request for park in Franklin South by the Frontrunner Station. • Who’s the developer for the old City Center block? – No information currently (some conversations, but nothing far enough along to comment on). • Request for speed study on 900 West between Center Street and 500 North – Yes. Adjournment