Holladay, Cottonwood Heights battle over office building

A conflict between two east-side cities could be written off as sibling rivalry, but local leaders involved say it really comes down to traffic, fire safety and pristine mountain views.

Elected officials in Holladay are opposing a proposed Cottonwood Heights ordinance change that would allow 12-story buildings at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon.

The Holladay City Council voted on Thursday to send a letter to its neighboring city, saying a 12-story structure would exacerbate traffic problems and could damage mountain views. The Holladay council passed a unanimous resolution regarding the building to drive its point home.

The impetus for the ordinance is a plan by Beckstrand and Associates to build a 12-story structure in its Old Mill office complex. Three standing Beckstrand buildings in the Old Mill complex sit near two other large office campuses at about 6200 South and 3300 East. Altogether, the area is home to more than a million square feet of office space serving corporations such as jetBlue, Cisco Systems and Overstock.com.

For now, all the office buildings in the area are six stories tall, the maximum allowed by city code. But Beckstrand wants the rules changed.

The proposed "Old Mill IV" structure won't appear higher than surrounding buildings, said Beckstrand spokesman Steve Hopkins.

"Elevation-wise, it's not super tall," he said. "Because it sits right in this valley, it's easier to build it tall without it being a problem."

The office complex is on the border of Holladay and Cottonwood Heights. Its development has spurred conflict with Holladay at every stage of development.

Years ago, Holladay sued Salt Lake County and closed part of Holladay Boulevard in an effort to halt the projects' progress. The building in question then was six stories high.

"It's frustrating to me because they've approved so much office property in Holladay, but the ones that are in Cottonwoods Heights or the county they've opposed," Hopkins said.

But the Beckstrand spokesman affirmed and reaffirmed his willingness to work with both cities involved, pointing out that his project will not use any tax increment funding, unlike other office developments in the area.

Hopkins also said planned road improvements in the 6200 South area will solve any traffic increases caused by his project.