The Snyderville Planning Commission heard from a packed public hearing Feb. 11th on a proposed expansion of the Mountain Life Church in Silver Creek. The Planning Commissioners are waiting to get some further information before they vote.
Snyderville Planning Chairwoman Malena Stevens said the crowd was supportive of the Church plan. But she said some residents also came with constructive criticism.
Given that, she said they asked the applicants and the staff to work on three areas. They want to see some construction mitigation to, for instance, keep mud and dust off the streets in the area.
Secondly, she said they want to see some careful guidelines for lighting. Stevens noted that the entitlement they approve will go with the property.
“So we want to make sure that whatever’s entitled, as far as lighting, is restrictive enough that it doesn’t allow whoever owns the property next to be able to have the lights on all the time. With that, staff is crafting a condition that allows the church to be able to use the lights when it’s needed and reasonable without it potentially being something in the future, it the church expands, or changes location and there’s a new owner, that they wouldn’t be able to do more than we currently expect.”
A third item is the amount of paving in the project. She said the Planning Commission doesn’t want a large expanse of asphalt. But the project is challenging.
“It’s challenging because of the nature of the site, because of the wetlands, to be able to do much else. And the church brought up several good points that right now it’s both a safety issue for the members, because they’re parking wherever they can. They’re also using a shuttle to get members there as well, which they will continue to do. But for what they need, they need more parking. I think that we will get to a place with this project where it will be a benefit to them and to the community, cause they do a lot for the community.”
A second item at their meeting was a request from the Silver Creek Village Center. The applicants are asking for amendments on a lot there, so that the grade can be modified, a maximum height can be raised to 45 feet, and a building could be created with 65 percent affordable units.
Stevens said they want the applicants to give them a more holistic view of the project.
“We were looking really specifically at one parcel, and what they wanted to do there, and the height exception, and discussing buildings without seeing sketches or plans or really having a clear understanding of what they wanted to put there, what it would ultimately look like. We expect next time for them to come with some sketches, with some maps showing where the current affordable housing has been approved is, where they’re anticipating this to be as far as how many units, and where the rest of the units will be throughout the remainder of the project. What we don’t want to see is that they’ve fulfilled their entire obligation with condos and apartment units, and that we don’t have townhouses and single-family homes that are also affordable integrated within the entire project.”
Snyderville Planning Chairwoman Malena Stevens.
