Salt Lake City wants to steer clear of another "Sugarhole."

Motivated by the public outcry over a developer's gutting the heart of Sugar House, the City Council is crafting a comprehensive demolition law that would close loopholes and clear up rules dictating when a property owner can demolish a building or home.

At the crux is a requirement that a builder have an approved plan and building permit before they could level any structure.

But the debate toes a delicate line between public good and property rights, meaning council members will move slowly.

"It could get ideological," Councilman Luke Garrott said in an interview. "It will be really interesting to see how some supposedly more conservative members react to it."

Few tipped their hand Tuesday, but clues were offered. Councilman Carlton Christensen warned against making the standards so onerous they create eyesores across the city. "I'm also concerned we don't create a secondary market for arsonists," he said.

But Councilman J.T. Martin argued the capital shouldn't delay. "Every week, every month, another home is coming down," he said. "We've got to get on this. The fabric of the community is being destroyed."

Councilwoman Jill Remington Love suggested the city focus on its historic preservation plans, which she said could have prevented controversial tear-downs in Yalecrest and Sugar House.

Details are far from decided, but city permitting

boss Orion Goff sounded receptive to the ordinance. "It's been proven recently that you can game the system," he said.

Garrott noted the measure would not police the legitimacy of a developer's financing and therefore not cost significant city resources. The ordinance "would clean up all the missing teeth in our city." But, Garrott added, it should not absolve the Redevelopment Agency.

"The RDA is one of the worst offenders for creating blight. They'll hate me for saying it, but it's true."

Councilman Soren Simonsen, considered the architect of the new rules, insists they would not preclude demolition, just alter the timing. "It would put in some minimum standards where they don't now exist," he said.

The council called for a purpose statement to be written in coming weeks, after which they will ask Mayor Ralph Becker for input.

djensen@sltrib.com