Development plans for a public park within Cottonwood Heights were approved on April 18. When completed, the approximately 1.87-acre Doverhill Drive Public Park will include a playground structure, grass-filled activity areas, and pollinator friendly water-wise landscaping. 

The Doverhill Drive Park will be part of a 13 single-family residential housing lot development constructed by Ivory Homes (3625 E. Doverhill Drive). The subdivision will be constructed in two phases. The first phase will include the construction of four lots at the end of Doverhill Drive (on the east side, closest to Wasatch Boulevard) and will begin this summer.   

“Ivory Homes is able to install the park for a much better price than what the city would be quoted,” said Community and Economic Development Director Mike Johnson.  

In addition to constructing the public park, Ivory Homes will enhance the existing pedestrian trail to connect to multiple points throughout the development, from Hammerhead Roadway and Summer Hill Drive, through to Wasatch Boulevard.

“There is an easement for any pedestrian infrastructure through the further northeast lot, that could be a pedestrian access easement,” Johnson said. 

Ivory Homes will be required to preserve the existing hillside and pavilion. Cottonwood Heights Community and Economic Development staff members will visit the pavilion before construction begins to assess the current conditions of the pavilion to set the baseline. 

“Any damage that comes to the pavilion must be fixed,” Johnson said. 

The property for the proposed development will be acquired from the current owner, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After arson was committed in 2018 causing extensive property damage to the church building, they decided four acres of land would be sold to Ivory Homes with the rest being sold to Cottonwood Heights. The sale is anticipated to close on May 26. 

“This project is moving forward in terms of city purchasing and property acquisition,” Johnson said. 

Ivory Homes has been working with the city’s Architectural Review Committee (ARC), Parks, Trails, and Open Space Committee (PTOS), and Planning Commission. ARC Chair Scott Peters lives to the south of the proposed development area. Development plans for the park and subdivision development were approved by the Planning Commission on Jan. 4. The proposed development project received a Certificate of Design Compliance from the ARC on Jan. 26. 

Councilmember Ellen Birrell asked if city staff could work with Ivory Homes to offer a lower height and view profile in their housing development offerings. She would ultimately like to see incentives offered for shorter homes to be built on the Doverhill lots. 

“The number one thing that people in Cottonwood Heights want is view preservation,” Birrell said. “The folks to the north of these lots will lose a good portion of their view, as these homes were to be built at a higher design option.” 

Johnson reassured Birrell that the Planning Commission had already set a few conditions in terms of heights since the same concern arose during the public process. One of those conditions is related to grading. Ivory Homes will be required to keep grading at an absolute minimum for their lots. The ARC has also mandated that Ivory Homes add only minimal fill to their properties. 

“The agreement does not grant any development allowances that vary from city ordinances. It does not grant zoning exceptions or code exceptions,” Johnson said. 

Johnson also mentioned that there will be no rear setback exceptions. Thirty-five feet is the maximum for a rear setback for single family homes within Cottonwood Heights, so Ivory Homes will need to abide to that as well. 

Resolution 2023-24: Approving Entry into a Development Agreement with Ivory Development, LLC was unanimously approved by the Cottonwood Heights City Council on April 18 (after being motioned by Birrell and seconded by Councilmember Scott Bracken). The main purpose of this agreement is to ensure completion of the public park per the approved park plan and preservation of the existing pavilion. 

Before any dirt moves, Ivory Homes will have a meeting with Cottonwood Heights to determine final development plans. They will have to submit storm water calculations along with civil and technical plans. Then, they will be required to finish constructing the public park two years after that preconstruction meeting.

“We have built in a fallback provision of 36 months after the date of the development agreement, but we think two years after the preconstruction meeting will happen much, much, sooner,” Johnson said.  λ