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SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake Bees' departure from Smith's Ballpark isn't the only major change slated for Salt Lake City's Ballpark neighborhood.
As the Bees took the field Tuesday evening for possibly their last home opener before moving to South Jordan, Salt Lake City Council members took a step toward voting on a measure that would completely rezone the blocks surrounding the ballpark as the city continues to find a new use for the stadium.
The City Council voted Tuesday to set up a public hearing next month on the proposed Ballpark Station Area rezone, the next step after approving the station area plan in 2022. If approved, blocks surrounding the ballpark, 77 W. 1300 South, and Utah Transit Authority's Ballpark TRAX station would shift from predominantly commercial zones to a mix of housing and mixed-use zones.
"I think this is starting to reflect more of what we'd like to see (in) the evolution of Ballpark," said Councilwoman Eva Lopez Chavez during a meeting earlier in the day.
Ballpark rezone
The rezoning project began in June 2023 and went through some revisions to get to what's on the City Council's table, but a large chunk of the proposed rezone resembles what Salt Lake City planners revealed to Ballpark residents in September. Most of the neighborhood would be listed as either what's called Form Based Mixed Use 8 or Form Based Urban Neighborhood 1 and 2.
The former allows for buildings up to eight stories in height and a "wide variety of uses," said Brooke Olson, a principal planner for Salt Lake City. These include new row houses, multi-family and mixed-used developments, similar to other new buildings popping up across the city. The other two zones would also open up different housing types, but it would require buildings to be at least 30 to 50 feet high.
All three zones would be located close to the Ballpark station, so she said the properties don't have to meet the same parking requirements as areas away from transit zones. Planners note that all three of UTA's existing TRAX routes use the station; UTA is also eying a fourth line in the future that would also utilize the stop.
UTA's frequent 200 bus route runs up and down State State near the project area's east boundary. City planners noted last year that current homes in the project area would not be affected by any rezoning, arguing that the changes would provide landowners "an opportunity to develop their property in a different way."
The Salt Lake City Council is also considering new signage rules for the Form Based Mixed Use 8 zone, which regulates what types of signs new buildings can use. Awning or canopy, nameplate, window and projecting signs are among the acceptable options, as are any vintage signs that may be relocated into the area as public art.
What about the ballpark?
Tuesday's presentation took place hours before the Salt Lake Bees' potential final home opener at Smith's Ballpark. The team was intended to be the project's anchor when the first part of it was announced in 2021. The city even offered the Larry H. Miller Company — the team's owner — a legacy lease in 2022.
But the plans shifted when the company announced last year that it would move the team to a stadium it is building in South Jordan's Daybreak neighborhood after the 2024 season. The Bees' move could be delayed by three years if the Oakland Athletics pick the Daybreak stadium as a temporary home before moving to Las Vegas, but that's up to the A's.
The ballpark could also remain as a stadium moving forward, but there are other ideas on the table. These include either a formal or informal amphitheater, health and fitness facility, community recreation center or plaza, among the more likely options, according to new draft guide principles.
While what's next for Smith's Ballpark once the Bees leave is still to be decided, the stadium and the parking lot north of it will remain public land at least for now. Salt Lake City planning director Nick Norris said that the section could face additional rezoning based on what the city decides through the city's Ballpark Next project, which was launched hours after the Miller Company announced its move out of the ballpark.
"That process will ramp up pretty soon," he said.
A section of land southwest of the ballpark would also be rezoned into public land for a future library that would be located southwest of the existing ballpark site.
The next steps
The City Council voted Tuesday to set up a public hearing that will be held on May 7. The council is tentatively slated to vote on the measure on May 21. The same goes for the proposed sign regulations that could impact parts of the project area.
Members of the City Council appeared to be generally supportive of how the process is moving forward.
"I think it's exciting to see the area plan is coming to fruition and we're making the changes to actually make this dream happen," said Salt Lake City Councilman Alejandro Puy. "That, to me, is a good step in the right direction."
