Salt Lake City council approves Ballpark rezone with 5-acre open space rule, bans jails

The Salt Lake City Council on Oct. 20 unanimously adopted zoning changes for the former Ballpark property under the Ballpark NEXT Community Design Plan and an ordinance prohibiting community correctional facilities and jails on private property in the city. The council office's official meeting recap reports both as approved, and the presiding council member announced each as carrying unanimously on a voice vote. The city's official minutes for the meeting had not been posted on the Utah Public Notice Website when this report was written. ^[1][2][3]

**Ballpark rezone and text amendment.** Council Member Erika Carlsen moved to adopt the Ballpark zoning map and text amendment ordinances, and Council Member Dugan seconded. The OpenCity meeting summary says the action rezones parcels from Public Lands and Moderate Density Residential to the Mixed-Use 8 and Mixed-Use 5 districts and adds requirements for at least five acres of publicly accessible open space and for tree preservation. Carlsen said council members used the chance to incorporate community feedback by increasing the open space, naming green space a priority and setting a minimum of five acres. She also said the ordinance helps protect mature trees and mitigates their loss during redevelopment, and that she looks forward to carrying out the Ballpark NEXT plan adopted in 2025. The agenda lists the parcels affected. Five properties along Paxton Avenue, 1300 South, West Temple and Main Street move from Public Lands to Mixed-Use 8. One West Temple parcel moves to Mixed-Use 8 and Mixed-Use 5, and two more move from Moderate Density Residential Multi-Family to Mixed-Use 5. The text amendment also removes Ballpark-specific sign requirements. The council office's Oct. 13 recap, after a work session briefing on the rezones, said the council would tentatively vote on them Oct. 20. ^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

**Jail and correctional facility ban.** Council Member Victoria Petro-Eschler moved to adopt the Community Correctional Facilities and Jails Text Amendment, and Dugan seconded. The council office's recap describes the result as prohibiting community correctional facilities and jails on private property in Salt Lake City. The OpenCity summary describes the ordinance as removing the two uses as conditional uses from the land use tables, which makes them prohibited. The meeting transcript shows no discussion; when the presiding member asked for opposition, abstentions or comments after the vote, none were raised. The agenda says the amendment does not affect properties owned by the State of Utah or the federal government, which are exempt from local zoning. This report did not review the ordinance text or the administration's transmittal, so exact definitions and other exceptions are not described here. ^[1][2][3][4]

**Sugar House special assessment.** The council also postponed action on the resolution to designate the Sugar House Business District 2027 Special Assessment Area. The council office's recap says the area was withdrawn earlier in October in response to community feedback, and the OpenCity summary says the Sugar House Chamber retracted its request. ^[1][3]

**What is next.** The recap lists the Nov. 10 council meeting as the next formal meeting, with a first public hearing on the Expanding Housing Options text amendment, and says a second hearing is scheduled for Nov. 17. ^[1]