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Show WASATCH ONE MAN SURRENDERS Continued from page 8 Resolution Trust Corp. The RTC, in turn, sold it to McIntosh Mill, Ltd., a Utah company that included one of the people from the original 1977 partnership — Harry Reed. Seeing a looming threat to the residential areas along Park Avenue, Watts lobbied to have a transition zone created that would protect the neighborhood without preventing commercial development along extended Main Street. “I still believe my concept was correct, that we needed to protect these surrounding areas as residential/historical, and that we needed to put in place an ordinance that would do it,” he said. Watts contends the area would still be residential/historical had the new zone been allowed to do what it was designed to do. However, he believes the intent was subverted by a number of side deals with developers. The 1982 definition of “natural grade” had opened the door for three- and four-story buildings on the McIntosh Mill property. And another agreement paved the way for increased density on a parcel still owned by the Sweeney family. Though the 1977 partnership had collapsed, the Sweeney family still had several acres on the east side of Park Avenue - including the site occupied by the lower terminus of the Town Lift - and more than 100 acres on the western hillsides overlooking Old Town. City officials, concerned about the impact of excessive development on those hillsides, worked out a deal in which the Sweeneys could transfer some of the density from a proposed hillside development to their Park Avenue property. Today, a huge Sweeney HIS FIGHT businesses excavation north property. Construction soon will begin on a 58,000-squarefoot building plus parking garage. The Sweeney proposal also calls for the Park City Ski Area’s “Town” run to be extended into the property on a bridge across Park Avenue, and traffic to Woodside Avenue routed on a new access street through property immediately north of the Watts’ garage. Also planned is a building on the west side of Park Avenue at the corner of Eighth Street. massive as the Watts into PERFORMANCES SIX NIGHTS A WEEK, UNDER ONE MILLION STARS Avenue 1992, the city granted a business license for a bakery and coffee outlet at 651 Park Ave., half a block south of Watts’ Cottage beer home. was permit 1994, for In given for off-site 1993, outdoor dining. Watts’ over the Coffee a license to sell consumption and a In June objections, the CALL 225-4100 TO MAKE RESERVATIONS Coffee Cottage was granted a conditional use approval as a restaurant and allowed ment on to offer a limited Then Fletcher live entertain- came the news that the old houses on Park Avenue across the street would be designated for retail commercial. When he approached the city for approval of his Fletcher Kimball project, developer Jeffrey Kuhn indicated that the old Fletcher homes would be renovated as affordable housing. However, after losing a long and expensive battle to get federal tax credits for the renovations, Kuhn changed his mind. housing had not been made a condition of approval “My position with the staff was that, ‘Hey, proposal still believe my con- an applying for who a demolition permit. What did it, he said, was the city’s decision to allow from Denny Birch to turn homes into Over Watts’ commission one of the old Fletcher a restaurant/sports bar. objections, the planning approved a conditional use That permit. decision was reviewed the mission and the historic district com- mission, argued that Kuhn and his partners should be held to their original plans, even though converting the Fletcher houses into affordable PAGE condition that that reduced from included shorter seating and the east primary side of the property. Demolition of the house wasn’t his first option, he said. But he concluded, based on Kuhn’s experience with the Fletcher houses, that it would cost renovate three times as it for a commercial much to use as it would to build a new one. “There’s no way in God’s world you can meet code and restore these buildings without completely undoing everything,” he said. “These were built a hundred years ago and they can’t withstand the pressures of the current code requirements. People say, “Well, turn this into a business so everybody can enjoy the significant old buildings.’ Now who the hell’s going to pay three times the amount to do it? I don’t have the money to do it.” 15 advocates than the Kuhn Nevertheless, in July Fletcher renovated 1994 he filed for a permit to demolish the house, the and another He house he owns Woodside The historic district appealed commission to the city council. In April 1995, the council turned him down too. “They say — and they have ordiI’m not entitled to the highest and best of the land,” Watts said. “That nances use was to back it up — that one of the criteria on which they turned down my appeal. And they say they have the right to do that.” So now over- sidering commercial uses for his own recover his investment in the renovations, he wanted to turn the houses into retail businesses. Child, application and to in better houses turned him down and city that, preservation can that happen?’ the response I got back (was) that... it's a use defined Agency, impression Some garage, lawyers cut!” the their building. But by then, Watts had decided that, since he couldn’t beat ‘em, he’d join ‘em. So he started con- that, if he fulfilled all the requirements, he would get the tax credits. “Ultimately, I got a phone cal from the head guy down there. He said, ‘I’m sorry, Jeffrey. You didn’t make the cut.’ “IT didn’t even know there was a told THEATRE contend that Watts overestimated his renovation costs, since his house is at 664 conditions Kuhn said he spent $2,500 on a nonrefundable filing fee with the Kuhn SUMMER “When I wrote a letter to the city manager, Toby (Ross), saying, ‘How hours, So of turned by the city council after Watts appealed. Birch eventually won approval for the Broken Thumb restaurant by agreeing to a list of nance that would do it. the part Watts filed a protest. received put in place an ordi- under what (But) staffs position Demolition wasn’t his first choice In February 1994, the city we needed to protect these surrounding areas as residential/historical, and that we needed to Utah Housing Finance another $10,000 on that’s was.’ at City Hall was, ‘We can’t hold their feet to the fire on this,” Child said. HRC (Historic in the Residential Commercial) zone and he can do it.” cept was correct, that accountants SUNDANCE basis. original Fletcher Kimball proposal as a member of both the planning com- Depot-area development has become, those projects alone would not have goaded Burnis Park First came the Coffee Cottage (Soon to become Bad Ass Coffee). In Alison Burnis & Betty throw in the towel As on TIMES access of the Town Lift terminus represents the first step in the development of the retail itself, MOUNTAIN Watts comes what? is now waiting out of a planning to see what commission debate over the zoning along Park Avenue — a debate touched off by his vehement opposition of commercial uses along the street At one point the group discussed discouraging demolition by allowing commercial uses only in_ historic structures The commission also has dis- couraged reducing the allowable height in the area from 35 feet to 28 feet. Bruce Erickson, chairman of the planning commission, argues that, if the city places such a high priority in preserving the historic buildings, it should provide some incentives to owners such as Watts. “There ought to be some help we can give him,” Erickson said. “If its going to cost him a couple of hundred thousand dollars to renovate the thing, we sure as hell shouldn't be charging him fees In the meantime, Burnis and Betty Watts continue to hole up in their historic home, trying to tune out the rumble of traffic and the loud conversations of passers-by. |