Here we go again! Not content with a rezone that more than doubles the number of lots, Ivory Homes is now asking the city for further sweeping concessions via a sham planned development application; so they can overbuild this small foothills lot at the top of F Street in the Avenues.
Ivory’s latest plan has been described by residents as like “sardines in a can,” where they seek to pack 21 large, 90 feet long, two-story homes onto this small lot. No yards, front setbacks reduced to as low as 2.3 feet, rear setbacks at 5 feet and 10 feet between buildings.
Barely room to plant a daffodil, let alone a tree. Does that seem like the Avenues we all know and love? Oh, and for good measure, an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) is added to every house, for a total of 42 units. Neighboring blocks in the same zone have an average of 14 homes. Ivory’s proposal creates a subdivision of ADUs for the first time, in what they describe as an “experiment,” a far cry from the original concept of the ADU, to be added “one-at-a-time” by individual owner occupiers.
At a recent Ivory open house, Avenues residents let both Ivory and city planners know in no uncertain terms, that this plan is unacceptable. Avenues residents understand the need for more housing and are accepting of a reasonable level of densification and this has already been achieved by the rezone. Ivory should not now be granted further concessions that enrich Ivory with zero public benefit. The city uses the term “gentle infill.” This is anything but “gentle infill.”
Peter Wright, Chair of The Preserve Our Avenues Coalition, Salt Lake City
Editor’s note: This letter was previously accompanied by a rendering of an outdated site plan.
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