By Aspen Perry  |  [email protected]

It was a proud moment for Holladay City on Friday, June 1, when Mayor Rob Dahle, Community Development Director Paul Allred and City Planner Jon Teerlink were presented the 2017 Urban Design Utah Legacy Award for the city’s town center and plaza design — better known to residents as the Holladay Village. 

The Urban Design Utah (UDU) Legacy Award is the highest urban design award available in the state of Utah, according to the Utah American Society of Landscape Architects. 

“This award is a credit to former city council members, and former Mayor Dennis Webb, who had the vision and courage to put into motion what has brought us to this point,” Dahle said. “I’m honored to have played a small part in staying true to their dream of creating a city center.” 

Dahle additionally noted the dedication of current council members Sabrina Petersen and Lynn Pace, who were serving with the former council members and mayor. 

City Planner Jon Teerlink, Mayor Rob Dahle, Community Development Director Paul Allred and Urban Design Utah Awards Program Director Matt Wheelright pose with Legacy Award. (Paul Allred/Holladay City)

 “Dennis Webb really got the vision, and he knows how to work with people,” Petersen said.

When asked how it feels to have the Village recognized with a prestigious design award, Petersen responded, “It means that we hit a home run.”

In accordance with the announcement sent by UDU Awards program directors Matt Wheelwright and Michael Larice, the legacy award winners are selected based on their ability to convey “urban design lessons and achievements… important for municipalities and agencies to learn.” 

“It is an award that gives the city a tremendous pat on the back for implementing a unique community gathering space,” Allred said. 

While Allred noted the honor of Holladay’s Village being recognized, he also noted the number of tours he has been taking various city developers and planning organizations on over the coarse of the last few years. 

He said the city would be hosting its 13th “educational walkabout” in the Village on June 20 (shortly after this issue went to print), as more and more planners come to see for themselves the potential to create a unique space for their own city or clientele. 

“Most want to know how we made (the buildings) look so attractive,” Allred said.

Eye-catching design is one feature Petersen said is thanks to strict standards developers and tenants are required to adhere to if they wish to have their business located in the Village. 

“Developers in the Village will tell you how tight our zoning is. They have to see the design review board and they have strict limitations,” Petersen said. 

She further explained the city was able to dictate strict zoning and design standards because the Village sat on property owned by the city. 

“Because the city owned the property, and the developers brought the money, it was a team effort,” Petersen said. 

She continued, “Because the city had some control over how it was built, we got a much better project.”

Utah ASLA is not the first organization to turn their attention to development in Holladay, as was reported in the May 2017 issue of Holladay Journal. City development attracted national attention from Business View Magazine when Holladay Planning was featured in the magazine as a means of providing insight for cities nationwide making similar development attempts.  

Given the attention the Village has received both nationally and statewide, it would appear city officials and council should enjoy the recent accolades on a job well done, though Allred noted receiving the legacy award will serve as continued inspiration to “keep going and do even more to make the Village area a desirable place.”