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SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski has invited the public to attend several meetings to talk about zoning changes for a controversial inland port.
Though Biskupski has fiercely protested the creation of an inland port — a logistics and distribution hub inland from coastal seaports — the state passed a new law during a special legislative session requiring the city to update zoning regulations in preparation for the port.
The city must update its zoning ordinance to support inland port uses by Dec. 31 or it will lose the opportunity to regulate inland port uses, Biskupski said.
However, the Utah Inland Port Authority — a group created by the Legislature to guide creation of the port — can still have final land use authority within the port jurisdiction — about 16,000 acres of undeveloped land west of the Salt Lake City International Airport, the mayor added.
“My administration will explore every possible opportunity to protect the city’s interests and our constitutional authority over how land is developed in our jurisdiction,” Biskupski said in an emailed statement.
The mayor has hinted at a possible lawsuit to dissolve the port authority.
In the meantime, the mayor wants to hear the public’s opinion on the zoning changes.
According to a statement from the mayor’s office, the project will address the following objectives and policies:
- Improving air quality.
- Minimizing resource use within the inland port designated area.
- Respecting and maintaining sensitivity to the unique natural environments in proximity to inland port designated areas.
- Identifying neighborhood impacts and community concerns.
- Add inland port uses as permitted and/or conditional to the zoning districts that are located within the inland port designated area.
City officials also hope to hear from the public about how the city can meet the standards the port authority requires, including potential environmental impacts like air quality, surface water and ground water, as well as how the port can apply technology.
The city has several scheduled events that the public can attend, including two community open houses on Thursday and Sept. 5 at the Sorenson Unity Center in Salt Lake City.
All upcoming meetings include:
- Planning Commission briefing: Aug. 22, 5:30 p.m., Salt Lake City-County Building, 451 S. State
- Community open house: Aug. 23, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Sorenson Unity Center, 1383 S. 900 West
- Community open house: Sept. 5, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Sorenson Unity Center, 1383 S. 900 West
- Planning Commission public hearing: Sept. 12, 5:30 p.m., Salt Lake City-County Building, 451 S. State
- Planning Commission public hearing and potential recommendation: Sept. 26, 5:30 p.m., Salt Lake City-County Building, 451 S. State
