The developer of a proposed mixed-use neighborhood in Silver Creek is working with the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission to accommodate a new design that doesn’t necessarily meet requirements outlined in the county’s development code.
Columbus Pacific Development is requesting setback exceptions for a subdivision, commercial area and childcare center tied to the Crossroads at Silver Creek, an exception the developers say will allow them to build a better, more coherent design than the previous proposal first brought before the Planning Commission in 2023.
Setback requirements refer to the mandatory minimum distance between a building and the property line, often intended to guide aesthetics and provide privacy in residential neighborhoods in addition to ensuring emergency vehicles can access the area safely.
The Crossroads at Silver Creek development includes 72 multifamily residences, 24 affordable housing units and approximately 32,000 square feet of commercial space. However, the property is currently zoned for rural residential use, which means Columbus Pacific’s vision for the development will require a zoning change.
Tony Tyler, a Columbus Pacific partner and Silver Creek resident, in 2023 originally suggested the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission rezone the area to a neighborhood mixed-use district, more commonly referred to as an NMU. The developers then put their application on pause, opting to explore other zoning possibilities that would be a better fit for the project.
In a workshop with the Planning Commission last week, Tyler said he was now seeking a rezone to a community commercial zone instead.
He explained the reason for the change primarily involves building heights because an NMU allows building heights of up to 45 feet, which Tyler said was unnecessary for the proposed development.
As for the setbacks, Tyler told the Planning Commission he was asking for exceptions for three specific areas: the residential units toward the bottom of the development on both sides of the road and a unit on the northern end bordering the commercial spaces. He said the exceptions would help Columbus Pacific implement its latest design, which connects to the existing roundabout before transitioning into a densely populated, Swedish-inspired neighborhood.
The commercial space sits on the southern side of the roundabout with a connecting residential road to the west, which heads farther south toward the interstate and is dotted with townhomes and affordable housing units on each side.
The exceptions, Tyler said, should not have a meaningful impact on the residents of the development nor any neighbors because there are no adjacent buildings. Moreover, the exceptions would be on less than 2% of the property overall.
Tyler added the Utah Department of Transportation has one independent setback requirement for easement access that would only affect one of the buildings, but UDOT officials are already amenable to amending their easement access and entering into an agreement allowing an exception for the developers.
The Planning Commission also asked about the possibility of a grocery store in the commercial center, an idea floated during previous workshops with Columbus Pacific. However, Tyler said he’s spoken with most major grocery chains and that they’re not interested in opening a new location in the development because the population isn’t dense enough.
He said he’s still hoping to bring a market of some kind to the project, even though the business wouldn’t be a traditional grocer.
The Snyderville Basin Planning Commission didn’t make any decisions regarding the Crossroads at Silver Creek development last week, but commissioners were generally supportive of granting the exception, with Planning Commission Chair Tyann Mooney calling the proposal a “very thoughtful design.”
The Planning Commission is expected to discuss the development further at its next meeting.