RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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SALT LAKE CITY \u2014 A plan to redevelop an existing Zions Bank branch location within the heart of Sugar House received the green light to move forward, but it might not be as tall as developers envisioned.Members of the Salt Lake City Planning Commission voted 4-1 on Wednesday to approve the proposed GEM Sugar House project along with the conditional use that will allow the building to maintain a drive-thru on the bottom floor.However, that came after the board voted 4-1 to deny a request for additional height, finding it didn't meet certain design requirements that allow developers to add 25 feet to the project. It lowers the maximum height allowed from 194 feet to 169 feet.That came after questions about a unique proposal for affordable housing, which have yet to be decided.Reducing project heightGEM Sugar House emerged earlier this year, when KC Gardner Company, on behalf of Zions Bank, filed paperwork to receive clearance to build a 182-foot mixed-use multifamily tower at 2200 S. Highland Drive.A Zions Bank branch has sat on the parcel since 1979, and it would remain the owner of the proposed building, which calls for 139 residential units, 52 hotel units and over 9,200 square feet of commercial space. It would also hold 164 parking stalls.A bank branch would remain on the first floor, and a restaurant would occupy the top floor.The parcel, along with most of the Sugar House business district, was recently rezoned to mixed-use district 11 (MU-11). That allows for general heights of 125 feet, but buildings can max out at 194 feet with a design review and if they offer certain incentives, such as open space around it and affordable housing, along with exemptions tied to mechanical equipment, city planners point out.While city planners agreed that developers met a requirement for 10% of the lot to be open space to receive an additional 25 feet in building height, most of this was considered obstructed, not unobstructed, as the city also requires.The project would have a gathering space on the building's fifth-floor deck, which could help fill the gap, said Max Muller, senior development manager for Gardner Group, and Cazes Martin, owner of Engine 8 Architecture. They noted that the lot's irregular shape added challenges to the project design, influencing the unique setup.It aims to meet the "spirit and intent" of the city's zoning consolidation, Muller said."Our goal here has been to create something in Sugar House somewhat marketably differe
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