Developers seek feedback on Kimball Junction mixed‑use plan that wraps housing around a new neighborhood core

Developers presented a conceptual plan on April 9 to the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission to redevelop a large Kimball Junction retail center into a Neighborhood Mixed Use (NMU) development, saying the goal is to replace an "epic parking lot" with a walkable core of mixed commercial and residential uses.

Attorney Justin Keys, representing the applicant team, said the presentation was a pre‑application request for feedback on a possible rezone to NMU and eventual conditional‑use review. "We're not the last of the time; this is pre‑application," Keys said, asking the commission for early input on whether the zoning and concept were appropriate. Craig Elliott of Elliott Work Group described the site as fortress‑like and argued the NMU zone is a natural fit because the site is already served by transit and is near substantial residential neighborhoods.

The design team proposed wrapping two‑story mixed‑use buildings and about 63 upper‑floor apartments into the site's core, creating plazas and multiple portals to "tear down that wall" around the existing perimeter parking, and redirecting parking to back‑of‑house or structured locations to preserve public gathering spaces. Sid, a member of the design team, described a concept of "10 to 4 plazas" and walking streets intended to encourage people to move through the site rather than drive from storefront to storefront.

Commissioners welcomed adaptive reuse but pressed the team for additional technical detail before any formal application. An online commissioner who identified himself as the commission's energy‑efficiency reviewer said reusing existing uninsulated concrete‑block buildings presents energy‑performance challenges; the team said they plan to maintain and upgrade parts of existing structures when feasible and design new buildings to be higher performing and PV‑ready. Commissioners repeatedly requested a traffic and transit study, three‑dimensional renderings showing human scale and circulation, and a clearer parking strategy that considers structured parking and potential demand‑sharing approaches.

Applicants said an initial phase would likely remove an adjacent lot to add residential units and then move inward to rebuild the core, with the possibility of separate ownership structures for portions of the interior (for example, affordable versus market‑rate housing). The team also said it has started coordinating with transit and trail agencies and intends to return with a detailed transportation presentation.

The commission framed its feedback around three technical needs: a transportation and transit analysis that addresses regional connectivity and modal split; refined parking studies showing how NMU zone parking rules would be met or mitigated; and design‑level materials that clarify building massing, pedestrian circulation and accessibility across steep grades. The work session closed with staff and the applicant agreeing to return with the requested analyses and 3‑D visuals.

Next steps: the applicant said it will refine designs, pursue traffic and transit coordination with High Valley Transit and county engineering, and return to the commission with more detailed materials before a formal rezoning or CUP application.