Petition to The Cottonwood Heights Planning Commission to maintain the current zoning of Big Cottonwood Creek Canyon, Cottonwood Heights, UT.

 -  STOP Demolition of The Historic Old Mill!

-  STOP Traffic Jams of an extra 600-800 cars!

-  STOP  Pollution of the narrow canyon along Big Cottonwood Creek!

      In response to the Papermill Village Team’s proposal to demolish The Historic Old Mill and build nearly 30 acres of condos and town homes in the narrow canyon, where there are only single-family homes, we the undersigned petition the Cottonwood Heights Planning Commission to:

       1).  Maintain the current zoning of single family homes and keep our 

                 narrow canyon a safe, user-friendly natural area, free of 

                 unnecessary extra pollution.

       2).  Keep our roadway safe and clear of congestion from over-use.

       2).  Stand firm in preserving The Old Mill on the National Register of 

                 Historic Places.

                                              Petition Information

In light of the recent Proposal to redevelop the nearly 30-acre site in Big Cottonwood Creek Canyon with high density housing and demolition of the “Old Mill”, we the undersigned strongly encourage the Cottonwood Heights Planning Commission to maintain the current zoning at the site, which includes only a small area of Regional Commercial and the remainder as R-1-8 Residential Single Family and F-1-21 Foothill Residential Zone.  We object to the proposed zoning changes presented to the Planning Commission on June 5, 2024 for the following reasons:

1. The iconic Old Mill is on the National Register of Historic Places and must be preserved as a rare and precious opportunity to retain the history of our area.  

· The mill is not unsalvageable as the owners would have us believe. Historic buildings in worse shape are routinely rehabilitated for re-use in Utah as well as around the world. The ruins of Rome have been preserved; bombed out cities of Europe have been meticulously reconstructed to preserve historical city centers.  

· There has been funding available to restore the Old Mill in the past, which has been refused by the owners.  There will be funding in the future!  Our committees will find a good match, but the Planning Commission must support us by enforcing their original zoning laws, and honoring the Old Mill’s historic value, by keeping it and its surrounding area intact until further plans can be made.

2. The owners are asking to change from the current density of 5-units per acre to as high as 35-units per acre for a total of up to 334 residential units with only 14 of those as single family homes.

•  That density is not consistent with the current development in the        canyon.
•  The project intends to utilize the small two-lane road currently running through the canyon along Big Cottonwood Creek
• Increased emissions in the narrow canyon would create unsafe levels of PM 2.5 Environmental effect toxic, exacerbating health issues, and jeopardizing the health of residents.
• Congestion on the 2-Lane road would create traffic jams and safety issues
         -  Traffic studies show that a 2 lane local street’s capacity is 1000               vehicles per day.  

                -  Apartments & condos generate 7 trips per day per unit

                -  The addition of over 400 apts & condos would alone, triple the                      recommended capacity of the current roadway

                -  The small capacity of the road, and the narrow nature of the                           canyon with its dangerous blind corners make it unreasonable                       to develop the area into high density housing.

3.  The canyon is a treasured natural area with exceptional air quality, used by hikers and bikers to enjoy nature close to their homes and offices.  With toxic emissions routinely settling over the narrow canyon, the AQI would inevitably become unhealthy. 

CONCLUSION:  We encourage the Cottonwood Heights Planning Commission to veto the proposal to alter the current zoning of The Big Cottonwood Creek Canyon area in order to:

     -   Keep the canyon environmentally safe for residents as well as the               Salt Lake Community. 

     -   Prevent future traffic issues and roadway safety hazards 

     -   Preserve The Historic Old Mill for future generations