Section 28.070 Development Standards, see why the planning commission on March 24, 2016 didn't even bring this subject up

 Here is one item that the planning commission (March 24, 2016) failed to even discuss, the proposed office building.  Why do you think they DID NOT want to discuss the proposed office building in the last planning commission meeting?  Why, BECAUSE, the proposed office building DOES NOT meet Lehi City building codes as defined in chapter 28.  Lets take a look at what was included in the package received by each commissioner regarding applicable development code regulations.  In this blog post, I will focus on section 28.070, development standards

Section 28.070.   Development Standards.

Where a Resort Community Zone proposes a mix of recreational and commercial or business park uses, the following development standards shall apply in addition to any other commercial development standards contained in this Code or the Design Standards and Public Improvement Specifications manual:

A.  Building Design.

The proposed structures  
shall be complimentary (most certainly IS NOT. Hey Kim Struthers, Christie Hutchings and planning commissioners, it says complimentary.  It does not say, an eye sore, out of place, does not fit, it says complimentary as in similar.  Does it this massive office complex similar or complimentary to the club house, the single family residents of Thanksgiving Village, no it is not!)

 to the
surrounding   (Thanksgiving Point club house, Thanksgiving Village single family residences, across the railroad tracks, Young Living and more single family residences, down the street on the same side of the street, the curiosity center and flower gardens. This development is unlike any other development to the north, south and east)
architecture in terms of  
scale (may be the largest commercial office development in Thanksgiving Point at 135,000 square feet.  It sits next to a very small club house and single family residences)
massing (extremely large for the area, a massive office complex, 4 story's. Nothing west of the railroad tracks is 4 stories, NOTHING)
roof shape (not similar to anything to the north, south, east and there are no buildings to the west).
and exterior materials. (not similar to any of the buildings directly to the north, south, east and there are no buildings to the west).
Buildings should not create large bulky masses  (I think a 135,000 square foot office complex is a large bulky mass. Nothing even comes close to it in size.  The club house to the north and the single family residences to the south are puny by comparison)
 but
should be
 scaled down into groupings of smaller attached structures. (Have you read the code LDS Church, it says scaled down into groupings of smaller attached structures, not one large massive office complex).

 Buildings

 adjacent (next to Thanksgiving Village - single family residences)

to single family detached units should be

limited to 2 stories or 35 feet. (Certainly not 4 stories)

I know that the proposed new office development is adjacent to Thanksgiving Village, Desert Forest Lane and single family residents, see my blog post below.  Therefore, it should not exceed 2 stories or 35 feet in height.

Adjacent 

Now lets take a look at the surrounding structures. The proposed office building IS NOT complimentary to the surrounding architecture, if fact it will stand out like a sore thumb. It doesn't come close to resembling anything west of the railroad tracks and if you look directly across the railroad tracks (east) you will find more homes and the Young Living buildings, nope, doesn't resemble them either. Right next to the proposed office building is the Thanksgiving Point golf course club house, doesn't resemble that either.  On the southern border of the property lies Thanksgiving Village, Desert Forest Lane, hey I own part of that as do all other home owners in Thanksgiving Village and single family homes which are adjacent to the proposed development.  Keep in mind the Family Search plat is a single lot subdivision.  It does not matter that the proposed office development is on the northern border of the property (actually, the Family Search and Discovery Center can't be located on the northern border, it MUST be located on the southern border - special warranty deed signed by the LDS Church and Beesmark LLC below.

Special Warranty Deed

To see a copy of the proposed 4 story massive office complex, click on the link below and to to page 10.

Proposed Office Complex

Once you have taken a look at what the church is proposing (page 10 on the link above),  take a look at the surrounding buildings below and I dare you to say, yes, this massive office complex the church is building is just like every other building in the area, just like them! Actually it is not, not even close. (Notice the roof design, not a single building that is using a flat roof structure.  Why not, because code won't allow it (chapter 28))

Directly across from the proposed massive office development to the east, Young Living

Just down the road from the proposed massive office complex, the curiosity center, notice the roof.

Part of the curiosity Center, notice the roof

Thanksgiving Point gardens building, where you enter to go to the tulip festival, notice the roof.

Homes to the east across from the railroad tracks

 

Young Living is directly across the railroad tracks to the east, notice the roof.

Club house, will sit 100 feet from the new massive office tower, I don't think they look very similar.

Thanksgiving Village and Desert Forest Lane border the southern edge of the property. I live in Thanksgiving Village, less than 200 feet from the border of the Family Search plat. You could say it is nearly right outside my front door.

My home is the second on on the right.

B.  Parking.

Large expanses of asphalt shall be reduced and broken into smaller parking lots. Parking lots shall include ample landscaping to buffer cars from neighboring properties including the use of berms and landscaped islands (see Section12.090 C).

If you look at the parking lot, it appears to me to be contiguous and one large parking lot with three entrances to the complex.  All three entrances lead to parking and all the parking lots are interconnected.  Here is interesting part.  The massive office complex plans to use the parking lot designated for the future LDS Stake Center and the LDS Stake Center plans to use the parking lot of the massive office complex, they will share parking because there is not enough parking for both. Find me another Stake Center in Lehi that shares parking with a massive office complex or any other commercial office building. This is just plain wrong. Oh but it is not weird, happens all the time, well maybe not, maybe NEVER before anywhere in Lehi by any LDS church building. How pathetic.

C.  Access and Traffic.

Adequate vehicular and pedestrian access must be provided.
Direct
access from an arterial or

collector street (not residential streets) to the office and professional service uses must be provided.
A traffic impact study shall be required as part of the Area Plan, to project auto and truck traffic generated by the uses proposed.

I haven't seen a traffic impact study as part of the area plan.  I heard that the church had paid for a traffic study and the study came back showing CURRENT traffic conditions in the Thanksgiving Point area receiving an F grade.  But hey, lets just keep building, add commercial office building after commercial office building and increasing traffic congestion.  Oh, I have an idea says the geniuses at the church and city,  lets put in two new stoplights years from now, that will solve the problem.  Well, no it won't, it will only make matters worse and beside, that may be years from now, what are you going to do in the meantime geniuses?.  No matter, we want our building so says the church and we will get our building, we don't care about your silly city codes, they were not meant for us, we can do anything we want, including breaking any contractual commitments we made in a special warranty deed.  Oh that thing, that means nothing to us, we are not men of our word, men of integrity, we are men who get things done by hook or crook - so says Brent Robert, Nathan Hale and the Corporation of the Presiding Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Check out the special warranty deed signed by the church and Beesmark, LLC.

Special Warranty Deed 

D.  Roof Design.

Flat
or 

low pitched roofs shall be avoided and roof lines should blend in with surrounding buildings. 

Roof design may be further defined as part of an approved Area Plan.

Well, is the roof proposed by the church a low pitched roof?  I believe so, so shall it be avoided?  I believe so!  Does it blend in with the surrounding buildings?   

That would be a big absolute NO! (check out the pictures I posted above, not a single flat or low pitched roof in the surrounding area, not ONE!)

So why is the church proposing a low flat roof instead of blending their building into the surrounding buildings? They just don't care!  They want what they want, they could give a rat's ass if their building blends in with the surrounding buildings.  As I said before, the code that everyone else on the planet needs to abide by does not pertain to them, just the rest of us lowly peons.

E.  Materials.

New buildings should blend with the materials of surrounding buildings. Building materials may be further defined as part of an approved Area Plan.F. I am seriously getting tired of writing, of course the materials the church has selected DO NOT blend with the materials of the surrounding buildings, that would be absurd, what the church comply with city code (chapter 28), are you kidding me? By the way, the church showed on brick color panel included in the application.  that was enough for the planning commission, nothing to see here. The panel was not the final selection, just a color panel of brick. 

I .  Signage.

Signage of buildings should be part of a coordinated signage system for the entire Resort development.Signage should help unify the development and provide a positive image. Natural materials such as wood, stone, rock and metal with external illumination are encouraged. The use of monument signs is also encouraged. The size and location of signage shall conform to the requirements and design guidelines of Chapter 23, Signs, of this Code.

Haven't seen anything produced by the church regarding signage, but hey, the planning commission doesn't need to see a thing like that, approve away, it is the church for goodness sake, we must approve, we have to approve, we must conform, so says Bruce R. McConkie in his talk,

Obedience,Consecration, and Sacrifice

 

Members of the church must conform, it is required of them if the are members of the church. There church calling comes before their civic responsibilities.  You want to know why those at the city are allowing the church to violate code after code ordinances, could it possibly be that they belong to a church that demands their unconditional conformity?

G. Lighting.

Outdoor lighting should be screened by shields or hoods to prevent glare onto adjacent properties. The intensity of large fixtures should be reduced by utilizing a larger number of smaller light poles of twelve (12) to eighteen (18) feet. Incandescent lights should be used in smaller pedestrian spaces where quality light is especially important.

Haven't seen anything regarding the lighting, but hey planning commission, don't let that stop you from approving the churches proposed office building.

In fact, don't even discuss this in your planning commission meeting, might foul things up.

And for goodness sake Steve Roll, don't let anyone from the community that is impacted by this development have even 20 seconds to share a thought.  Make sure you shut down all discussion and you ram through a development that will most definitely harm the health, safely and welfare of the residents of Lehi.

To conclude, this massive office development located on the northern border of the property not only DOES NOT come close to meeting Lehi City Code, chapter 28 governing resort communities It also breaks the law by violating a contractual commitment the church made with Beesmark, LLC.

But, hey, ram it through, code, what code, contract, what contract, agreement, what agreement.

We are the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we get what we want, we are the big bully on the block, so sit down and shut up and let us build whatever we want, where ever we want.