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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Provided Information - 3/10/2026CITY COUNCIL OF SALT LAKE CITY 451 SOUTH STATE STREET, ROOM 304 P.O. BOX 145476, SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH 84114-5476 SLCCOUNCIL.COM TEL 801-535-7600 FAX 801-535-7651 COUNCIL STAFF REPORT CITY COUNCIL of SALT LAKE CITY TO:City Council Members FROM: Nick Tarbet Policy Analyst DATE:March 10, 2026 RE: Temporary Street Closures around Temple Square View the Administration’s proposal: Ordinance: Temporary Street Closure for Temple Square 2027 Reopening NEW INFORMATION During the February 10 briefing the Council discussed the request to temporarily close streets near Temple Square for the Salt Lake Temple’s reopening in 2027. The temporary closures would help with public safety and crowd management during the open house. Representatives from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints participated in the briefing and expressed their intent to work collaboratively with the city to inform residents about the open house and find ways to mitigate the impacts to traffic for residents, business and commuters. It was discussed this is early in the planning process and they welcome feedback from the community and City Council. The Council discussed a number of potential impacts the temporary street closure may have on the community as well as ways to potentially address them. Some of the ideas discussed included: Providing free UTA passes to all tour-goers and employees to keep thousands of cars off the road. Satellite Park-and-Ride options with dedicated shuttles to the temple. Remote and staggered work schedules for Church employees to flatten peak traffic hours. Temporary permit-only zones in nearby neighborhoods to prevent visitor "overflow" parking. Create specific transit and detour plans to ensure students and downtown workers can commute without major delays. Schedule: Page | 2 Ensure emergency access in and out of impacted neighborhoods Work with the Downtown Alliance to promote local restaurants and shops to the millions of expected visitors. Designate nearby lots specifically for ADA parking and mobility assistance. Community outreach to ensure residents are the first to know about changes early. It was noted this is very early in the planning process. The City and representatives from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints will work together in coming months to coordinate on the planning of the project and continued public outreach. The public hearing is set for March 10. Council Staff has prepared a project website that includes the most current information as the Council considers the temporary street closure request. Additionally, the Administration has a project page that will be used as the central location for city information after the Council approves the temporary street closure. The following information was provided for the February 10 briefing. ISSUE AT-A-GLANCE The Council will be briefed on an ordinance that would temporarily close all or portions of City streets adjacent to Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake City for a period of six months in 2027. The proposed temporary closure is intended to facilitate public safety and crowd management during the reopening celebration of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Salt Lake City Temple. The temporary street closures would occur between March 2027 and October 2027. The closure is being considered a year in advance of the temporary closure to give the applicant enough time to address the planning and coordination of the event to ensure public safety. According to Utah code, in order to temporarily close a road a city must make a finding that the closure is necessary to mitigate unsafe conditions, and a public hearing must be held after being notice for at least four weeks. On February 3, the Council set the public hearing date for March 10, 2026. The Administrative Transmittal notes the proposed closures are necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of residents, visitors, and event participants. Based on anticipated attendance, the closure will facilitate orderly crowed management, mitigate traffic congestion and allow for the placement of safety infrastructure such as barricades, emergency access, signage and accessibility accommodations. (Transmittal Letter, Page 2) Goal of the briefing: To brief the Council on the proposed temporary street closures and provide feedback on public engagement strategies. City code includes provisions related to street closures, work in the right-of way and use of City-owned property. To fulfill the city requirements the Church will be required to obtain all applicable permit fees, parking meter fees and lease fees that equate to approximately $2.3 million, based on the consolidate fee schedule. POLICY QUESTIONS Acknowledging the public engagement plan is in its preliminary stages, the Council may wish to provide feedback to the administration regarding potential strategies to enhance outreach both prior to and during the temporary street closure. Items to consider may include: 1. Which stakeholders (businesses, residents, visitors, etc.) have been identified to collaborate with to develop an effective public engagement plan? Page | 3 2. Closures may impact traditional routes for students going to school; how will the school district be involved in the planning process? 3. How does the Administration anticipate businesses will be impacted; how could they be assisted during the temporary closures. 4. How will the city coordinate signage for detours during the project? a. How will both vehicle and pedestrian traffic be considered? 5. How will UTA bus routes be impacted? a. How will the city coordinate public outreach on these detours? 6. Will there be a project website people can go to for updates on the project?