Following a public hearing on Jan. 19, 2021, the Farmington City Council passed ordinance No. 2021. This ordinance contains amendments to the already existing zoning ordinance and sign ordinance.

The new ordinance amendments are as follows:

• Residents can no longer park in their side corner yards unless a paved driveway area is present.

• Pools and tennis courts that aren’t within city guidelines now require a “special exception” instead of a “conditional use permit.”

• Many other construction aspects, such as the heights of residential and non-residential buildings, also require special exceptions.

• The words “no fee shall be assessed for such application” were removed from several amendments discussing special exception requests.

• Parking lots across from residential dwellings in mixed-use zones no longer need to follow the same landscaping guidelines as parking lots in residential zones.

• Dwelling roofs no longer have a minimum height or construction material requirement.

• On-premises signs are now allowed within one foot of property lines, rather than 10, as long as they don’t impede property traffic.

The council also approved changing the wording of some parts of the zoning and sign ordinances, such as language explaining the BR Zone’s cultural impact on Farmington City. These changes don’t materially change the existing ordinances, but they do clarify passages that could otherwise be confusing.

According to the ordinance itself, the new changes take effect “immediately upon publication or posting or 30 days after passage by the City Council, whichever comes first.”

The council announced the public hearing on the amendment Jan. 5, two weeks before they passed the ordinance. 

Public hearings routinely occur during Farmington City Council meetings, which happen twice a month on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the sessions currently take place over Zoom. Interested parties can find the link on the page titled “2021 City Council Meetings” on farmington.utah.gov. Anyone can join.

If citizens are unable to attend city council meetings in real time, they can email their comments to [email protected] beforehand.