Keepers:
KEEP Yalecrest has taken a proactive stance on several issues that could likely negatively impact the Yalecrest neighborhood. Our intent has been to work with government leaders and other community officials to protect the character and livability of this unique place. We encourage you to become familiar with them and help us represent your interests.
One is the University of Utah’s new West Village student housing project on Sunnyside and Foothill that envisions two five-story high towers with an adjoining three-story building. The KEEP Yalecrest board sent a letter to the U’s Board of Trustees to challenge the project on these grounds:
- Density. 504 new units will replace 100 existing housing units on the same property footprint.
- Building height. There is nothing in the nearby vicinity that matches the height of these five-story towers.
- Insufficient parking. Only 211 parking spaces are planned for 504 units.
- Community compatibility. The initial architectural drawings reflect an industrial “boxy” style that is in stark contrast to the historic Yalecrest neighborhood.
The U has indicated a desire to meet with KEEP Yalecrest and other community leaders to engage in a healthy town-gown dialogue about the West Village project. KEEP has already received support from State Sen. Jani Iwamoto, State Rep. Brian King, the Yalecrest Neighborhood Council and the Salt Lake City Mayor’s office.
The full letter can be accessed on the KEEP Yalecrest website at www.keepyalecrest.org.
A second area of concern is the proliferation of 5G cell towers that will soon be occurring in neighborhoods throughout the city – including Yalecrest. Regulations approved in 2018 by the Utah State legislature allow these 30-45 foot structures to be installed in the public right-of-way – without prior notice or approval – and which sometimes mean they are placed in homeowners front yards (see photo).
The city has already given one wireless carrier approval for more than 300 permits. Since carriers do not co-locate or share their facilities, 3 or 4 more carriers are poised to make the same requests. In order for these cells to operate properly they must be placed 300-500 feet apart, so the city is looking at a veritable forest of these metal poles becoming more common place than utility towers.
KEEP Yalecrest supports the STOP 5G coalition, composed of residents, homeowners and neighborhood councils, that have come together to inject more citizen involvement in the process. You can join STOP 5G on Nextdoor.
Jill Greenwood
President
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The mission of K.E.E.P. Yalecrest (Keep Educating and Encouraging Preservation of Yalecrest) is to help preserve and protect the Yalecrest neighborhood, designated on the National Register of Historic Places, by providing advocacy, education and recognition of its community, history, landscapes and historic architecture.
