17-7-17.1 Purpose.
The Midvale City general plan identifies the areas around TRAX stations as “opportunity areas” of the city. Opportunity areas are defined as those where changes in the types and/or intensities of current land uses are anticipated. Encouraging a mix of residential and commercial uses is important to provide the critical mass necessary to support the existing commercial, attract new, viable businesses to the area and support the growth of the region. This overlay zone implements the goal of supporting and enhancing existing areas by providing standards for the development of high quality, higher density residential, commercial and mixed-use developments within the transit-oriented development zone. This chapter informs the owners of the standards that will be applied in approving or disapproving proposed developments. Due to the urban nature of this overlay zone as a result of the increased density and building height, additional mitigating standards are included to supplement the standards of the transit-oriented development (TOD) zone. A development plan including site layout, parking, landscaping, architecture and relationship to the surrounding development shall be submitted.
The goals for developing within the transit-oriented development zone overlay include the following:
A. Provides critical mass necessary to help facilitate the reinvestment and redevelopment of the existing commercial base within the transit-oriented development zone and surrounding commercial areas;
B. Takes advantage of transit and existing transit opportunities;
C. Creates a consistently high quality urban environment;
D. Provides pedestrian connections within and among developments and between adjacent neighborhoods to create a walkable area;
E. Enhances the investment of those locating within and around the transit-oriented development zone;
F. Respects the existing development pattern through a variation in height, form and scale;
G. Provides compatibility between residential and commercial uses to create a comfortable environment for both shoppers and residents;
H. Promotes economic development by increasing the utilization of existing undeveloped or underdeveloped parcels. (Ord. 2017-04 § 1 (Att. A (part)))