From Deseret News archives:

Sandy tables allowing off-site parking at Real games

Published: Thursday, March 29, 2007 12:17 a.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
SANDY — Sandy's City Council is unsure about parking for the Real Salt Lake soccer stadium, and with over 20,000 fans funneling in and out for games, the extra bodies in the heart of the city's entertainment corridor is proving to be problematic.

Because of unresolved issues with stadium parking, the council voted unanimously Tuesday night to table an ordinance that would allow off-site parking at temporary events, such as soccer games. It will vote again on that code amendment in 30 days, after a series of tours to various night-game parking spots.

But the parameters of Real's parking plan, which relies on the ordinance, is what City Council members were most concerned about.

"This could have the possibility of generating 20,000 people at one time. And we're saying we can get by on this with 1,000 parking spots on one site?" said Councilman Scott Cowdell, whose district includes the soccer stadium.

Cowdell said Real should add at least another 1,000 stalls and said the Major League Soccer team is turning to the city to solve its stadium parking problems.

Councilman Chris McCandless, however, said plenty of off-site parking stalls are available near the stadium site, on the northwest corner of 9400 South and State Street. "I do not want to see another 1,000 parking stalls simply because I don't want to see another sea of asphalt," he said.

Story continues below
Under a state-approved plan giving the team $35 million from hotel-tax revenues for land and parking at the site, Real must come up with 1,000 new parking stalls within a five-minute walking distance of the stadium. The majority of the other spots would require a five- to 15-minute walk. Sandy must amend current code to allow for off-site parking at such distances.

Real's engineering study says that 5,300 total parking spaces would be needed to accommodate those who drive to the stadium, most car-pooling. The others are expected to use mass transit.

Earlier stadium discussions included a parking garage to house most game-goers. Real, however, is looking at a garage for the second phase of the stadium project, which includes a hotel, broadcast studio and other mixed-use developments.

At the urging of Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan, a parking committee has been formed. But as the Planning Commission and City Council discuss a parking and traffic management plan, issues continue to stack up.

The Planning Commission recommended the City Council approve the ordinance and also recommended the council hold off on giving Real $10 million of the city's redevelopment agency funds until a comprehensive parking plan is approved, meeting all conditions addressed by the commission.

Comments

You can be the first to comment on this story.

previousnext

Latest comments

Letters: Show compassion

All people of good will have compassion. We compassionate all innocent...

Our men are tough and are practicing full contact this week. We are just as...

Consider: At SOME POINT in the future China will lose faith in all the U.S....

House passes health care bill

How many veterans had die just last year due to lack of medical insurance....

How about: PG: Deron SG: Mathews SF: Brewer PF: Millsap C: Memo and...

'Pagan, can I just say your awesome? :)' - 12:21 p.m. Heh. You can. And...

John Pack Lambert | 11:25 a.m. Nov. 12, 2009 To the 9:02 commentator, Just...

BYU is a great institution! Football is one of many things that BYU is good...

I agree. The people being polled are probably exagerrating the number of days...

SLC council OKs gay rights policies

To the 2:18 commentator, You need to go watch the NPR piece where they...

Advertisements
Advertisement