Salt Lake City Council this week signed off on a rezoning that will make room for new townhomes and condominiums on a tight slice of the East Bench, just east of Foothill Drive. The decision opens the door for a 26-unit, for-sale community that would replace three single-family rental homes on 1300 South, with a modest for-sale affordable component and some protections aimed at residents who will be displaced.
What Council Approved
The council voted unanimously to adopt an ordinance that rezones 2260, 2270, and 2290 E. 1300 South from R-1-7000 to MU-3, lining those parcels up with the mixed-use zoning on the neighboring block and clearing a key regulatory hurdle. As reported by Building Salt Lake, the zoning change enables a redevelopment pitched as eight townhomes and 18 condominiums.
Project Details and Affordability Commitments
City planning documents show that J-Development, LLC submitted the rezoning request, and the applicant has pledged to reserve 10% of the homes for buyers earning at or below 80% of the area median income, according to the Salt Lake City Planning Division. Filings describe the affordable share as one three-bedroom unit and two two-bedroom units, with the overall project consisting of two- and three-bedroom homes.
Under the MU-3 zoning, buildings on the site can reach 35 feet in height, with the potential for up to five additional feet if granted through design review, per the Salt Lake City municipal code.
Conditions and Neighborhood Concerns
The council attached several strings to its approval. The adopted ordinance requires tenant-relocation assistance for current residents and mandates at least a $25,000 contribution toward right-of-way improvements along 1300 South, steps meant to blunt some of the immediate impacts of redevelopment.
Building Salt Lake notes that Councilmember Dan Dugan, who represents the East Bench, thanked city staff, neighbors, and the developer, and highlighted that “this is some affordable housing, for-sale, along with market rate” in his remarks.
Neighbors who weighed in at earlier public hearings raised alarms about traffic, winter safety, and how drivers will get in and out of the site. The developer and city staff have said those issues will be tackled in later stages of review.
What's Next
Key details are still in flux. A development agreement, the formal design review, parking layout, and a concrete construction schedule all remain to be finalized and recorded. City staff materials note that the applicant must meet the housing-loss mitigation requirements in the city code, including replacing at least three dwelling units or using another approved mitigation option, before the ordinance actually takes effect. It is not yet clear when construction will start, according to the city's staff report and application materials.
