Agenda Item Title:
Title
Allred Special Exception for
Restoration within 30% or greater slopes
1877 E Quail Crest Lane
[Bell Canyon, Community #29]
Body
Presenter:
Melissa Anderson, Zoning Administrator
Body
Description/Background:
The applicant and property owner, Jim Allred, is requesting a Special Exception for the property located at 1877 E Quail Crest Lane. The request is for grading and restoration of a hillside slope with 30% or greater slope in the Sensitive Area Overlay (SAO). The subject property is a 1.05-acre legal lot in the Quail Crest Subdivision. The lot is in the R-1-20(A) zone (min. 20,000 sq. ft. lot), and within the SAO zone with delineated non-buildable areas within 30% or greater slopes. This site is bordered by single-family homes to the south, east and west. Directly to the north is the Salt Lake County owned Dimple Dell Park.
In 2020, a building permit for new single-family home was approved that adhered to the required setbacks from the delineated protected slope. During the summer of 2023, the city was alerted about an unauthorized alteration into the protected slope area. Investigations revealed that the homeowner engaged a contractor to erect a gravity block retaining wall, extending approximately 50 horizontal feet into the protected slope area without the necessary permits. This intrusion extended beyond the boundary of Lot 2, spilling over into Lot 3. The encroachment led to soil instability and sluffing. Following the discovery, a stop work order was issued for the property. In response, the city collaborated with the owners of both Lots 2 and 3 to design a plan to restore the disturbed slope. Mr. Jim Allred, the property owner of Lot 2, has accepted the responsibility for the intrusion into Lot 3, and he has included a plan for restoration of the affected areas in the proposed grading and landscaping plans.
See the Staff Report and Exhibits A - D for more information.
Recommended Action and/or Suggested Motion:
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Planning Commission grant a Special Exception to allow alteration and restoration of 30% or greater slopes in the Sensitive Area Overlay for the property located at 1877 E Quail Crest Lane, based on the following findings and conditions of approval:
Findings:
1. The applicant removed native vegetation and altered a protected 30% or greater slope without permits or approvals of the City.
2. The City Engineer finds the protected slope areas could be closely restored to their native condition and be sufficiently stabilized with native vegetation.
3. City departments and divisions have preliminarily reviewed the proposed site, grading and restoration plan.
4. The City Engineer and Community Development Director recommends approval of the grading and restoration plan, as proposed in Exhibit “D.”
Conditions:
1. The applicant shall comply with each department’s comments and redlines and resolve all issues on the proposed plans before a grading permit for hillside restoration is issued.
2. Existing scrub oak shall be protected in place, as shown in Exhibit “D.”
3. The applicant shall revegetate the disturbed areas with native species to replace what has been removed.
4. The revegetation shall be completed before May 15, 2024.
5. The appropriate temporary protection of replacement trees shall be provided to ensure they can grow and establish themselves without being consumed by the wildlife in the area.