- The Cottonwood Heights Planning Commission discussed the fate of the Old Cottonwood Paper Mill.
- Many locals oppose demolition, citing historical value; developers argue it's structurally unsound.
- A decision on the mill's future will be made by the City Council next year.
COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — The Cottonwood Heights Planning Commission got an earful during its meeting on Wednesday from several residents who oppose a historical landmark being torn down. The owners say the building is "structurally unsound."
The Cottonwood Paper Mill was built in the early 1880s, initially for the Deseret News. At one time it produced up to 5 tons of paper per day.
In recent years, residents have voiced concerns about the uncertain future of the Old Cottonwood Paper Mill on Big Cottonwood Canyon Road. With some fearing that developers may look to raze the site.
"Like the ruins of Rome, the Old Mill must be preserved and the current park expanded," wrote Deborah Bush of Cottonwood Heights, in a letter to the editor published in the Deseret News in 2024.
More than a year later, a proposal by applicant Doug Shelby of WDOM Properties LLC came before the planning commission on Wednesday, seeking a conditional use permit to demolish the building.
Dan Hemmert, who spoke on behalf of the applicant and the Walker family, who for generations have owned the building, said applying such an extreme measure is not something they've taken lightly.
"It's just arrived at a point where we think it is a public nuisance. And by that, I'm using the legal term that it's dangerous; it's an attraction and it's structurally unsound — and it's more expensive than we can bear to make it safe," he told the planning commission.
Shelby commissioned engineering studies in 2022 and 2024, both of which suggested renovation costs would be in the $100 million range, according to the staff report.
A push for preservation
According to Preservation Utah, the Old Cottonwood Paper Mill had several iterations of use, from being utilized as a dance hall, a venue for local rock bands and a haunted house at one point.
In 1966, the Cottonwood Paper Mill was declared a historic site by the Daughters of Utah Pioneers. Five years later, in 1971, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Due to seismic code concerns, the city condemned the building in 2005.
Yet, people who spoke during the public hearing cited the historical and cultural importance of the Old Mill and hoped it could be preserved.
"Just imagine the blood, sweat and tears that went into the building of that mill; and think that, oh well, we're just going to bulldoze it and reimagine it, I just think that's a huge travesty," said Casey Sullivan, who works as a masonry restoration contractor.
Nancy Hardy, a Cottonwood Heights resident, said she moved to the city in 2009 and has found the Old Mill to be fascinating and it's a treasure to have it in the community.
"Over all these years, all this talk about the Old Mill, and some really good required maintenance could have been going on," she said before the planning commission.
Others criticized the building's owners, saying the site has been neglected.
"I think it's a tragedy how it's become, but it's because of the owner's own fault that it's become that way," said Shauna Bland, who lives near the Old Mill. "They haven't taken care of it; they haven't cared, and I think it was intentional.'
Other alternatives
However, in a staff report submitted to the planning commission, the applicant argues those claims.
"The state of the building is not because the applicant or prior owners neglected the structure or failed to investigate or undertake measures to preserve the mill, but because the materials, design and original construction ensured the building would not last and could not be salvaged," the report reads.
Hemmert said the family may be open to offers from the city to preserve elements of the structure if it were to be demolished for use in a future city center project.
Other options listed in the staff report could include a Daughters of Utah Pioneers bronze plaque commemorating the mill or a digital history of the site, commissioned by the Cottonwood Heights Historic Society.
Ultimately, it'll be at least another year before any decisions regarding the Old Mill's fate are made — which at that time, the Cottonwood Heights City Council will have the final say.
