Council adopts Liberty Heights and American Avenue alley vacations and Sampson-Altadena landmark status; West High vote postponed again
October 7, 2025, 7:00 p.m. · Sorenson Unity Center, 1383 South 900 West
Meeting at the Sorenson Unity Center on the west side, the Council adopted the building preservation zoning incentives, two alley vacations, local landmark status for the Sampson and Altadena Apartments and a Justice Court capacity amendment, all 6-0 with Council Member Young absent. It deferred the 1100 West and 400 South street vacation and postponed the West High School ordinances for a second time. Council Member Wharton said the after-hours alcohol ordinance had been postponed for further refinement.
From the approved minutes. Updated October 14, 2026.
Decisions at a glance
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Public Utilities bond anticipation notes and refunding bonds (public hearing) | No action · 6-0 |
| HOME-ARP allocation plan amendment (public hearing) | No action · 6-0 |
| Building preservation and adaptive reuse zoning incentives | Approved · 6-0 |
| Partial street vacation at 1100 West and 400 South | Continued · 6-0 |
| Alley vacation at Liberty Heights plat | Approved · 6-0 |
| Local landmark designation for the Sampson and Altadena Apartments | Approved · 6-0 |
| West High School rebuild: Public Lands text amendment and street vacation | Continued · 6-0 |
| Alley vacations next to 373 and 389 West American Avenue | Approved · 6-0 |
| Justice Court capacity text amendment | Approved · 6-0 |
| Consent agenda | Approved · 6-0 |
Agenda, item by item
Item B1 · Taxes and fees
Public Utilities bond anticipation notes and refunding bonds (public hearing)
No action · 6-0
The Council held a public hearing on up to $50 million in Public Utilities revenue bond anticipation notes, Series 2025B (for a Public Utilities campus), and up to $50 million in revenue refunding bonds, Series 2025C (refunding Series 2017 bonds). No one spoke and the hearing was closed.
- Bond$50.0 million
- Bond$50.0 million
Item B2 · Budget
HOME-ARP allocation plan amendment (public hearing)
No action · 6-0
The Council held a hearing on moving $230,306 in HUD HOME-American Rescue Plan funds into supportive services so providers can add case management for households receiving rental assistance. A representative of the Asian Association of Utah supported it, saying counseling combined with rental assistance produced better outcomes. The hearing was closed.
- Budget$230,306
Item B3 · City code
Building preservation and adaptive reuse zoning incentives
Approved · 6-0
After a hearing with no public comment, the Council adopted Ordinance 58 of 2025. It lets more modifications be reviewed administratively through Design Review and Planned Development, clarifies design standards for new construction and lets applicants request a one-year extension of preliminary approval.
- Petition: PLNPCM2025-00039
Item B4 · Other
Partial street vacation at 1100 West and 400 South
Continued · 6-0
The Council held a hearing on a request to buy about five feet of right-of-way on 1100 West and 400 South for a new single-family house. Council Member Lopez Chavez thanked the applicant and cited an upcoming R-1 rezoning meant to avoid such issues. A neighbor and a Poplar Grove Community Council representative spoke in favor, saying replacing a neglected home would benefit the neighborhood. The Council closed the hearing and deferred action.
- Petition: PLNPCM2025-00178
- Council District 2
Item B5 · Other
Alley vacation at Liberty Heights plat
Approved · 6-0
After a hearing at which two speakers, including the applicant, supported the vacation, the Council adopted Ordinance 59 of 2025 vacating the unused alley segment between about 1430 East and 1500 East and 1300 South and Sherman Avenue. The applicant said it would let him continue building a garage.
- Petition: PLNPCM2025-00219
- Council District 6
Item B6 · Other
Local landmark designation for the Sampson and Altadena Apartments
Approved · 6-0
Four speakers supported the designation, citing the buildings' history and immigrant roots, current owners' preservation efforts, and stronger protection than the national designation. Council Member Mano noted the mixed-use zoning consolidation, which combines 26 commercial and mixed-use districts into six new zones, takes effect the next day. The Council adopted Ordinance 60 of 2025 designating the two buildings as local landmark sites.
- Petition: PLNHLC2025-00357
- Council District 4
Item C1 · Zoning
West High School rebuild: Public Lands text amendment and street vacation
Continued · 6-0
The Council postponed action to a future meeting. Council Member Wharton said the delay was to await results of a recent meeting among stakeholders about the building.
Item C2 · Other
Alley vacations next to 373 and 389 West American Avenue
Approved · 6-0
The Council adopted Ordinance 61 of 2025, vacating a city-owned alley next to properties at 373 and 389 West American Avenue. The petitioner owns three of the four adjacent properties and could redevelop the site; the other owner proposed buying the segment next to their property for private use. The alley cannot serve as a mid-block connection because the 900 South viaduct lies directly south. The minutes list two ordinances; the motion adopted Ordinance 61.
- Petitioner: the applicant
- Petition: PLNPCM2023-00636
- Council District 5
Item F1 · City code
Justice Court capacity text amendment
Approved · 6-0
The Council adopted Ordinance 62 of 2025, amending city code sections 2.84.020 and 2.84.030 to clarify that the city can change the number of authorized Justice Court judgeships, subject to Judicial Council approval, to keep pace with caseloads.
Item G · Other
Consent agenda
Approved · 6-0
The consent agenda passed 6-0 with item 6 (the Parviz Faiz board appointment) removed. It set Oct. 21 hearings on the annual HUD community development needs, the TEFRA hearing for Pax Station Apartments (203 West Paxton Avenue, 272 units), the Patriot Rail street vacations near 6500 West and I-80 (PLNPCM2025-00432), and Budget Amendment No. 2. It appointed Cooper Fankhauser and Sean Weeks to the Community Development and Capital Improvement Programs Advisory Board and Samantha DeSeelhorst to the Transportation Advisory Board.
What residents said
Rose Park flood recoveryProposed after-hours alcohol ordinanceTransportation in FairparkHomeless campus locationDelta Center tax spending
General comment ran long, with 14 speakers. Topics included north-south traffic and transit in Fairpark, support for the Rio Grande Plan and the West-East Connection Study, drug activity at neglected properties in the Chapman and Poplar Grove neighborhoods, city tree care, opposition to the proposed after-hours alcohol ordinance, concern about immigration enforcement, a high water bill, concerns about a proposed homeless campus in the Northpoint neighborhood, Rose Park flood relief and recovery, opposition to Delta Center project tax spending, park strip rules in Fairpark and a nuisance scrap metal business near 800 South and 900 West.