BOUNTIFUL -- City leaders are willing to squeeze a little more into Main Street than current parking standards allow in order to facilitate a mixed-use project that is expected to add jobs and housing.
By a 4-1 vote, the city council has approved both the preliminary and final site plan for development of a mixed-use project at the old Bountiful Lumber at approximately 190 S. Main St. Councilman Fred Moss was the lone vote against the initiative. Brian Knowlton is the project developer.
The project includes renovation of the lumber store into office space, the construction of a three-story building immediately west of the lumber building and a three-story multifamily facility west of the lumber building in the area where the lumber sheds are currently located. Between the three structures, there will be approximately 14 new apartments and 5,600 square feet of office space added to Main Street.
As part of the project, Knowlton will sell the existing storefront for Bountiful Lumber to Deseret Health Group, a local health care management company, that oversees facilities throughout the Midwest. Deseret will put $855,000 into renovation of the building for office space for its new headquarters, according to Jon Robertson, chairman of the health group, currently located on North Market Place Drive in Centerville.
The impact of the development on downtown parking, however, dominated much of the city council discussion. City officials admit the project does not meet existing city parking standards and also detailed potential problems during the winter, should some people park on Main Street.
There is one parking stall assigned to each of the 14 proposed residential units, and some parking for the office space. Robertson said his facility won't need much parking, but also offered to buy, rent or lease additional spaces elsewhere, if needed.
Moss suggested the parking issue should not be minimized.
"You don't have half the parking you need. Why do we want to cram them on Main Street?" Moss said. "We're trying to promote downtown, yet anything goes."
Knowlton suggested the project will be more urban in its approach and won't be the parking problem city leaders potentially outlined. He also noted an abundance of off-site parking in a parking lot near Stoker School and also on Main Street.
Moss said an urban model doesn't work in a community where everyone drives.
"I just think we're crazy allowing the congestion you're asking us to consider downtown," Moss said.
As discussion of parking concerns dominated much of the project discussion, Robertson at one point threatened to pull out of the plan.
"If it doesn't work we don't want to be here. We'll only be here if we can be good neighbors," Robertson said.
Earlier in the evening the city's Redevelopment Agency approved a $250,000 loan to Knowlton to fund a portion of the construction of the building between Bountiful Lumber and the Lamplight Art Gallery.
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