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At last month’s Council meeting (Dec. 4th) the City’s Planning and Housing and Neighborhood (HAND) Divisions began its presentation on the proposal to change the zoning designation of 29th LDS Ward House with the announcement that City staff was not seeking Community Council action that evening because they wanted to return in January with more concrete plans for the property.
Several days ago, the Planning Division notified the Fairpark Community Council that the City is not prepared to continue its presentation this month, that “more time is needed to develop plans for the site. The petition will not go before the Planning Commission until the revised plans have been presented at a future Fairpark Community Council meeting.”
Currently, the 29th Ward property, a .80 acre lot at 1102 West 400 North, is zoned R-1/7000, as is most of the Fairpark Community – single residences on lots no smaller that 7000 square feet. The City wants to rezone the old building and property as R-MU-35 – a residential area that allows 30 units per acre, plus the possibility that some lots can be used for commercial purposes.
For a hundred years, the old 29th LDS Ward House has been an iconic structure in what is now known as the Fairpark Community. In the 1980s, the LDS Church donated the building to Salt Lake City to be used to house various programs serving the City’s refugee population. Unfortunately, a fire in 1983 gutted part of the building’s interior, creating a serious challenge maintaining the building’s usefulness. And, since the early 1990s, the building has been vacant – boarded up and an eyesore for the community. (See the article on the history of this building here.).
In the initial letter from the Mayor’s Office to the Planning Commission requesting the the zoning change, the administration emphasized its philosophy of making “adaptive” reuse of historic buildings in the City. In this regard, the City has applied to have the old 29th Ward House listed in the National Historical Registry. The building is already listed on the City’s registry of significant historical and cultural landmarks; but the federal designation will make the building eligible for tax credits and other resources for repair and restoration efforts.
But in the initial presentation by Michael Akerlow, Director of the City’s Housing and Neighbor Development Division, at the Fairpark Council’s December meeting, the City’s goal of creating more “diverse and affordable” was emphasized. In the evening’s discussion, the City was unwilling to commit to any specific plan, however the idea of building new residential units on the parking lot north of the building and creating residential units in the old building was raised.
It seemed that the City’s position is that, without federal money/tax-credits to cover part of the cost for the rehab of the old church along with the revenue new housing units from the construction of new residences (condos or apartments) to help pay for the rehab of the church , the property will not be attractive to developers.
The old 29th LDS Ward House is both a treasure and scourge. In its dilapidated state today, it reflects negatively on the larger community. On the other hand, its basic structure, a hundred years old, is attractive as an icon of this community’s history.
For decades, residents of what is now the Fairpark Community have fought, via Master Plans and Zoning Maps, to the protect the residential nature of our neighborhoods. With the City’s proposal to change the zoning designation of the 29th Ward Building, the community is confronted with a choice: allow high density development to restore a historic building or allow the property to continue to deteriorate.
On Tuesday evening, Mayor Becker’s Office will hold a meeting for anyone who is interested in joining Salt Lake City’s efforts. The Mayor will explain to State leaders why the two Salt Lake City options should be taken off the list. The meeting will be held Tuesday, December 16 at 5:30 p.m., City & County Building, Room 326.
The next meeting of the State Prison Relocation Commission is December 22 at 2:00 p.m. in Room 210 of the Senate Building at the Utah State Capitol. Please note, public comment is not scheduled to be taken during this meeting but the public is welcome to attend. Opportunity for public comment will be outlined during the meeting.
You can start voicing your concerns now by emailing or calling commission members. Tell State leaders why the Salt Lake City options should be taken off the table!
Prison Relocation Commission Members:
Sen. Jerry W. Stevenson (R), Chair
Rep. Brad R. Wilson (R), Chair
Sen. Karen Mayne (D)
Sen. Evan J. Vickers (R)
Rep. Gregory H. Hughes (R)
Rep. Eric K. Hutchings (R)
Rep. Mark A. Wheatley (D)
Rollin Cook, Executive Director, Utah Department of Corrections
Ron Gordon, Agency Head, Bureau of Justice Agencies
Bryant R. Howe, Assistant Director
Robert H. Rees, Associate General Counsel
Brian J. Bean, Policy Analyst
Sara J. Thomas, Legislative Secretary
View the Administration’s detailed analysis of the proposed Salt Lake City sites and why the City has concluded the State Prison NOT move to Salt Lake City.
View the Prison Relocation Commission’s reports on the prison site selection criteria and status on the Utah Department of Corrections website.
The Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the New World, is a day that has been commemorated in Mexico for almost five centuries and by Latinos in the U.S. Southwest for about half as long. The Feast Day, is the climax of a week-long festival, Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Parish, 715 West 300 North, invites its neighbors in the Fairpark Community to be part of the festivities. You do not need to be Catholic nor speak Spanish.
This two-day celebration will start at 7:00 pm on December 11 and will continue all through the night and throughout Friday, December 12.
Dec. 11: 7:00 pm Santa Misa/Mass – Bilingual
10:00 pm Rosary/Rosario
10:40 pm Procession (around the block) with the Blessed Sacrament
11:00 pm Vespertina/Mananitas – (music)
12:00 am Misa de Gallo
Dec. 12: 6:00 am Mananitas – (music)
7:00 am Santa Misa
12:00 noon Mass in English in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe
5:00 pm Punto de reunion en Terrenos de la Feria – (people form a
procession from the Fairgrounds that will go to the church)
6:00 pm Inicia procesion
7:00 pm Misa Espanol
Food of all kinds will be on sale, along with roses for the Blessed Mother
and candles to be purchased. Come and join the festivities in honor of
Our Lady.
Education is a community effort. Our teachers and staff in our community schools work very hard to provide education to our children. Parents work hard at home to make sure their students are completing their homework and getting the support they need to become the best learners possible. Volunteers are always needed in our schools. Please contact one of the schools in our community to see how you can be an active part of the school’s efforts. Visit fairparkcommunity.org for contact information.
Jackson Elementary School News and Events
Jackson Elementary has served the children of our community since 1892. Originally a one-room school house the school, now located at 750 West 200 North, is a full-service elementary school serving 550 students, pre-school through sixth grade.
Perhaps one of the most unique aspects of Jackson is that every child becomes a musician, according to information at the Salt Lake District website. Every child who attends Jackson becomes a musician. Through a structured, sequential music program from kindergarten through sixth grade, every student, starting in third grade, learns to play the violin, learns to read music, and enjoys many opportunities to perform.
The school publishes the Jackson Journal every month with news and events about the school community, inlcuding Teacher of the month. The following is an excerpt from the publication. More information can be found at the school’s website at http://jackson.slcschools.org.
The long awaited Student Assessment of Growth and Excellence (SAGE) test results are in – a measure of how Utah students in public schools fared in English Language Arts, Math and Science.
The SAGE assessment system is a “computer adaptive assessment system aligned to the state’s core standards. This comprehensive testing system includes summative, interim, and formative components.”
The scores indicate that Utah students are well below grade level proficiency. Keep in mind, however, that this was the first round of testing under the new system and that there were many logistical and technological challenges in administering and taking the test, which may have influenced student responses.
The following links provide statewide information as well as information on how schools in the Fairpark community fared:
All students in Utah: https://datagateway.schools.utah.gov/SAGE?schoolYear=2014
Backman Elementary School: https://datagateway.schools.utah.gov/SAGE?schoolYear=2014&leaNum=36&schNum=104
Jackson Elementary School: https://datagateway.schools.utah.gov/SAGE?schoolYear=2014&leaNum=36&schNum=188
Northwest Middle School: https://datagateway.schools.utah.gov/SAGE?schoolYear=2014&leaNum=36&schNum=440
West High School: https://datagateway.schools.utah.gov/SAGE?schoolYear=2014&leaNum=36&schNum=716
Utah State Office of Education: http://www.schools.utah.gov/sage/Results.aspx
Salt Lake Tribune article: http://www.sltrib.com/news/1743116-155/percent-students-scores-utah-science-sage
SAGE portal: http://sageportal.org/ – information for stakeholders on SAGE, including resources.
Please send questions and items for submission to education@fairparkcommunity.org
UPDATE: The 2014 Elections are over and results are finalized. Election results can be viewed on the State website here. Congratulations to all newly elected candidates!
Results for offices that serve the Fairpark Community are listed below.
State House District 23
County Council District 1
U.S. Congressional District 2
State School Board District 5
Descending in your car on the west side of the North Temple viaduct, you can’t but notice the two-story brick building on the northwest corner of 600 West and North Temple.
Most people are likely to remember the building as the location where, formerly occupied by BIOMAT, people sold their blood. People may have noticed that the building has been vacant for a year or so. The building seemed to be a candidate for demolition. It nearly was demolished a couple of years ago and that would have been a significant loss for the Fairpark Community, for the Westside, and for the City.
Reaching an age of 102 years, this building, known as the Horsley Building is the oldest commercial building west of the railroad tracks along North Temple.
Interestingly, nearly one-third of historic commercial buildings in the Salt Lake Northwest Historic District located in the Fairpark area, combined commercial space with residential space, and the Horsley building is an example of this practice.
This building was built in 1912 by John W. Horsley to house his business on the ground story. The building resembles a small hotel court in the commercial style with retail space on the main floor and 16 apartments on the second. Horsley rented space that his department store did not occupy on the first floor to other businesses: a shoe repair shop, a barber named Isaac Lee, Ingleby Dry Goods and Bridge Drug.
On the second-floor were the apartments with a separate entrance from the retail stores. Six of the 12 apartments served as a home for John Horsley’s family: his wife, Inga, and their son Rulon and two of Inga’s six children from a previous marriage. The remaining 6 apartments in the building were occupied by three other couples.
Read more about the Salt Lake City Northwest Historic District (the area between 500 and 1000 West and North Temple and 600 North) here.
The Horsley family moved out of the apartments sometime before the 1920 census. The census does show that the 12 apartments in the Horsley Building housed a total of 35 people comprised of 12 couples and their families.
People may be surprised to learn that, from 1912 to 1917, the Horsley Building housed the Chapman Branch of the Salt Lake City Library. The library moved to its current location when it received a $25,000 grant from Carnegie Foundation.
Records show that through ’20s and into the ’30s, the retail stores in the building were fairly stable. Then, records from 1940 list three retail stores: Ingleby Dry Goods, Bridge Drug, and the Cashis King that sold meat and groceries. The Horsley Department Store was not on the list because, by 1940, the store no longer existed. Although his store was gone, David Horsley remained, with his new wife, Estella, to manage the building (he and Inga divorced in the late ’20s).
The retail space was remodeled in 1947, but by 1950, the long-time retail tenants were gone and, that same year, David Horsley deeded the property to his son, Rulon.
The storefronts were now occupied by Salt Lake Frozen Food Lockers and Bargain City. After another remodel in 1955, the building retail space was shared by the Salt Lake Frozen Foods and the M&M Market. But these times were difficult for the Horsley Building. By 1960, the storefronts were vacant and the apartments were known as the “Se Rancho Motel Annex Apartments”.
The storefronts remained vacant through the 1960s.
In the early 1970s the Bargain Basket Grocery, Inc., leased the building‟s retail space. This is the time best remembered by people raised in surrounding neighborhoods as part of the “boomer” generation.
Anna Giron, who has lived all of her life in, or near to, what is now the named Guadalupe Neighborhood (North Temple to 600 North; 500 West to I-15) remembers the Horsley Building as part of a thriving commercial area, now mostly gone, that stretched, west of the viaduct and railroad tracks, along North Temple that included the Arcade Theater, Rancho Lanes bowling and café, a number of small “mom and pop” cafes, Dee‟s drive-in, and the Safeway Grocery store that was located in the building that later became the Wonder Bread Store (now Furst Construction Company).
Anna remembers that people didn’t do their major grocery shopping at the Bargain Basket; they went to Safeway. The Bargain Basket was more of a convenient store. She emphasizes that the Horsley Building was a real part of her neighborhood. It wasn’t just the Bargain Basket, but also the people who lived in the upstairs apartments. “On summer nights, all of apartment windows would be lit up with people sitting on the window sills, smoking and talking with their neighbors.”
While some of the apartments continued to be used as part of the Se Rancho Motel, The Bargain Basket was gone and the storefronts remained vacant through the 1980s.
In 1990, the property was purchased by America Plasma Management, Inc. and the retail space was remodeled to house the BIO-MAT Blood Donation Center. The now vacant apartments were used for storage. This purchase did, after a decade of being vacant, bring the Horsley Building back to life; it also almost led to the building‟s demise.
Around 2009, the Texas-based owner (now Grifols—a company that uses blood plasma to develop, and market, medical products) announced its intention to build a new, larger building, on the property directly west of the Horsley Building. At the same time, it filed a request with the City for a permit to demolish the Horsley Building to create a parking lot for its new building.
Ultimately, the Planning Commission denied the request, citing the building‟s historical status. People were alarmed that this unique link with the communities past could be gone. The request for a demolition permit was especially tracked by Neighbor Works Salt Lake (NWSL), a nonprofit organization with its primary office located in the Fairpark Community. It was NWSL that informed other organizations, including the Fairpark Community Council, of the owner‟s intention.
NWSL’s executive director, Maria Garcias, explains that her organization has been concerned with the future of the building for many years, “We believed that the historic Horsley building could be rehabbed and, then, house organizations and programs that would be an asset to the community.”
NWSL urged the owner to donate the building to a nonprofit organization. This did not happen. NWSL also made several offers to purchase the building, hoping to partner with the University of Utah to house educational and community development programs. The price set by the owner, coupled with the costs of rehabilitation, prevented this from happening.
“Even though the building avoided being demolished, we remained concerned with how the building would be used in the future.”
BIO-MAT Blod Donation Center moved to its new building in July 2011. With fewer than 12 months before reaching its 100th year, the Horsley Building was again vacant.
It is interesting to note that, for a period of time, the oldest and newest commercial buildings on West North Temple stood side-by-side.
This year, the building’s future took a positive turn with its purchase by Randell Farrrell. Mr. Farrel plans to develop it to include apartments, along with art studios and other “creative spaces.”
Maria Garcias expresses the hope that Mr. Farrell can adhere to this vision, stating that NWSL has met with him a number of times, “We are working closely with him to make sure he is connected with the programs that could support his efforts.”
With its apartments and retail space, occupied or vacant, the Horsley Building has, through the decades, been part of what defines the Fairpark Community. It appears that this role will continue in future years.
Most of the information on the Horsley building’s past was drawn from the 2000 application to list the building on the National Historic Register, authored by Korral Broschinsky.