SALT LAKE CITY — The deep waters of debate surrounding historical preservation efforts in Salt Lake City's unique Yalecrest neighborhood were only made murkier last week by a decision by the Historical Landmarks Commission to squash proposed demolition restrictions.
Those restrictions, part of a compromise proposal crafted by the Salt Lake City Council in July, were aimed at limiting the demolition of homes deemed to define the character of the neighborhood, specifically those built before 1942.
The scheme is now headed for the Planning Commission and ultimately back to the City Council for ratification. And a lot could happen along the way.
For now, opponents of a local historical district overlay in Yalecrest are lauding the decision, while those in favor of a defined preservation plan suggest that what gets torn down and rebuilt, without restrictions, will only work to prove their point.
Both sides of the argument claim they represent the majority voice among the 1,400 or so homeowners in the area.
Ben Winchester, speaking for the Yalecrest Preservationists for Property Rights, said the entire council proposal, including the demolition restrictions, was drafted in a hurry and failed to clarify important issues.
"This was just a bad piece of work," Winchester said. "There doesn't seem to be a lot of structure to this proposal, and how it would be administered is completely undefined."
Winchester's group has hired a Salt Lake City law firm to "get more organized" and "establish a consistent communication path" with the city. In a letter submitted to the Planning Commission on the group's behalf, attorney Jodi Howick wrote that the council's proposal could "severely restrict (property owners') personal property rights and the growth and economic well-being of their neighborhood."
Tracey Harty of the Yalecrest Yes! Heritage Preservation Group, said Friday that opening the doors to unlimited demolition may highlight exactly what she and others who support a preservation plan most fear.
"We'll see what gets torn down and then what gets built in its place without any guidelines," Harty said. "I think it may change some minds."
Harty agrees with Winchester on the point of the current city proposal having been "hastily prepared," but she is in favor of preservation guidelines along the lines of those that have been adopted in other Salt Lake City neighborhoods, such as the Avenues, to protect what makes Yalecrest so distinctive.
"This neighborhood is a cultural gem," Harty said. "It's the largest historic neighborhood in the state of Utah … and one that could be a part of how the city is marketed, a reason for people to move here."
Both Harty and Winchester say the work that has been done since March may be circling back to essentially where it began, depending on the upcoming reviews and weigh-ins on the city's proposal.
Planning Commission Chairwoman Babs De Lay said Friday that Yalecrest preservation is one of the most complicated issues that has come before the board in her tenure.
"We've had innumerable e-mails on this," De Lay said. "It's been one of the hottest issues we've seen."
De Lay said the commission is likely to make a decision on the matter following a public hearing Wednesday at the Salt Lake City-County Building.
e-mail: araymond@desnews.com