Park City wants to make the revised code economically viable for developers, specifically new or future property owners that will have to pay land acquisition costs.
At its meeting May 22, the Park City Council was asked about changing several variables in the draft code.
As written, developers could build up to 45 feet if they meet defined benefits, such as affordable housing or a childcare facility. The council rejected a suggestion to expand the limit to 60 feet. Existing city code limits building height in Bonanza Park to 35 feet.
There was majority support on the council to reduce open space requirements for developers, from 30% of a project’s area to around 20%.
The council also agreed to further reduce parking requirements for developers, which could make future construction cheaper. The Bonanza Park Small Area Plan outlines a vision to make the neighborhood more pedestrian-oriented, with less parking near areas served by public transit.
The planning commission will now work to implement the council’s recommendations into the Bonanza Park code.
The council did not reach a clear consensus on how to regulate nightly rentals and hotels in the neighborhood, which is located in the center of Park City.
Councilmember Jeremy Rubell suggested they focus on driving the right outcomes.
“We should be coming up with a way to really balance the uses in this neighborhood so that it is truly mixed-use and vibrant,” Rubell said. “Somewhere people want to hang out. Somewhere people want to stay when they visit town."
As drafted, nightly rentals would be prohibited under the new code. But the council was supportive of grandfathering in existing nightly rentals in Bonanza Park and expressed an openness to allowing some in future development.
The proposed code stipulates that boutique hotels with a maximum of 75 rooms would be allowed. A representative from Zions Public Finance told the council that increasing the limit to 95 would increase economic feasibility for developers.
The council is scheduled to revisit the revised changes in the code at its meeting July 10.
Park City Municipal is a financial supporter of KPCW.
