[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6115781,"mediaKeyId","2736328-9a23ab1f002a52ce2eadf30ba7d2f2be","parentId",2736328,"title","Tooele Council weighs limits on sheds, containers in commercial lots after unpermitted placement","audioSeconds",753,"startMs",2696000,"endMs",3449000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2736328-9a23ab1f002a52ce2eadf30ba7d2f2be&start=2696&end=3449","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2736328-9a23ab1f002a52ce2eadf30ba7d2f2be/thumbnail_2696000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6115781/Utah/Tooele-Council-weighs-limits-on-sheds-containers-in-commercial-lots-after-unpermitted-placement","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6115781-537ccf55e8b00b5fbba70ff21eea39cb/orig.mp4?Expires=1776002522&Signature=LKpTMsFwh5lkfNc2bkhgaYs0i6WECY1zAgHHzqd-A7tiHhX0SvXmjJrB2yqMbDv0HIB~GTTYDEVMHrtPnxbkmqvL2HvChLeWsHUueBsRT6PIrohkA197d8WDrz7nFCNo2R~u4LQHkXX1sp-GPH~dl2ogj50GrzaA~lEaZi~3WdmIbyI3-nn773m1-HjX3ajYC9agfT4Th7Y-KJKLYPTDJxwh1Xk8cZLdwwjCF-9IVkAgoxp3RoPlqTNcL6EYo72z7SbgWJa-yIx72w7ax4hkSoR8czaf2-1IwB0HvemO3QCYqqafnvuRm6r2L0J1mUl8zpjdAIR~U0tCw9SXF7oL7w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Toele City, UT","date","2025-03-20T12:33:34Z","article","Andrew Agard, Tooele City's community development director, briefed the council on March 19 about accessory structures appearing in commercial and mixed-use zones, including an unpermitted shed that recently appeared in front of a coffee shop and a shipping container placed in the parking area of a commercial property.

Nut graf: Currently Tooele's code allows accessory structures in many commercial and mixed-use zones without a land-use review when the structure is small enough to avoid a building permit; staff proposed options ranging from prohibiting accessory structures in front setbacks and parking lots to allowing them with specific standards or a conditional-use permit.

Agard said the city's commercial-use table permits small accessory structures in industrial, mixed-use and commercial zones and structures under 120 square feet do not require a building permit. That ' he said ' is how a shed \"just popped up\" in the coffee-shop parking area without prior review. He showed examples from across the city including shipping containers and retail displays that occupy parking stalls.

Council members raised several concerns: the displacement of required parking spaces, aesthetics along main thoroughfares, pedestrian and vehicular obstruction, and the lack of a clear process for evaluating whether a structure should be allowed on a site with shared parking. Several members favored creating objective standards or a conditional-use process so staff can evaluate parking impacts, required bollards or reflective markings, lighting and whether the structure blocks drive aisles.

Agard offered options for code language: prohibit accessory structures in front setbacks and parking lots; permit structures only in rear or side yards; require a conditional-use permit or building-permit/zoning review for larger containers; or adopt specific construction and safety standards (bollards, reflectors, lighting, proof of retained parking capacity). He also noted that many of the situations in the city are longstanding and may be nonconforming, and staff would treat new installations differently than legacy cases.

Council members suggested staff prepare draft ordinance language and standards that address commercial corridors and distinguish retail display (Home Depot-style outdoor displays) from storage sheds and containers. Several members emphasized an educational approach for business owners who may not know a permit is required and asked staff to consider enforcement sequence (education, notice, fines, abatement) and how parking obligations would be verified.

Ending: Staff was asked to draft proposed standards and return them for further council discussion; no action or vote was taken at the March 19 work session.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Tooele City Council","oneSentenceSummary","Staff brought proposed options to regulate accessory structures (sheds, shipping containers) in commercial and mixed-use zones after a coffee shop placed an unpermitted shed in a parking area; council asked for standards to protect parking, visibility and aesthetics while acknowledging some business storage needs.","taxTitle","Tooele City Council, Tooele, Tooele County, Utah","taxId",67869,"location","Utah","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6115785,"Tooele staff proposes code addition to address nonstandard land divisions; council asks who pays for later improvements",845,1817000,2662000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2736328-9a23ab1f002a52ce2eadf30ba7d2f2be&start=1817&end=2662","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2736328-9a23ab1f002a52ce2eadf30ba7d2f2be/thumbnail_1817000.jpg","/articles/6115785/Utah/Tooele-staff-proposes-code-addition-to-address-nonstandard-land-divisions-council-asks-who-pays-for-later-improvements","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6115785-c8bf151ceb88081c445d3477556adbbc/orig.mp4?Expires=1776002522&Signature=BorkjYCPSHVwSzn8DxbXCUEgzkv3KHTmIF8mU-AKqvT~uAKCbX1KJM8CHEk509lMTp1owtTDZwJESYplzSPF46Pa7AiuKTOVdNT6TonzxEFpkH4IQx4ElliaFRLcRlqeYQ4TVmKQMG0UTekmGNbHzzzqapJrpZhQgf0TDD~NuqWfoPR7bxNCx3nW~QKtxcnGD3P9tM4aErY1T9CjiBtywXqZFJzFqJ89xgvXhBx9IKZSE481tNC631K0htnsivGlw0KGOhypjHlnkNlTGr8WF1q13SICNw-BDZTwAR9miCD9E0bxIacSS2AGLOUiKYVn51VG4hnKDa2WaZ06bHqJ1Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Andrew Agard, Tooele City's community development director, presented a draft amendment to Tooele City Code chapter 7-19 on March 19 that would add a new section formalizing \"nonstandard divisions of land.\" Agard said the change would put a local reference in the city code to a practice already permitted under state law and help staff require compliance before parcels created by deed receive building approvals.

Nut graf: The amendment would acknowledge that a deeded, nonstandard division can exist but would require parcel owners to meet all subdivision requirements ' including right-of-way dedication, public improvements, bonds and water-rights compliance ' before any land-use approval or building permit is issued for the divided parcel.

Agard told the council that the proposed language mirrors Utah Code \u0000 10-9a-103, which permits a county recorder to accept nonstandard divisions recorded by deed and that those divisions do not by themselves confer land-use approvals. He said the addition would give staff clear local authority to withhold development approvals until standard subdivision requirements are satisfied. \"This provides me with some teeth,\" Agard said of the proposed section.

Council members asked practical questions. One member asked whether the buyer or the seller would normally be responsible for completing a nonstandard division; Agard said the allocation of cost is typically negotiated in the sale but that in practice the owner seeking to make the parcel marketable often completes the necessary paperwork. Council members also asked whether the change would apply only to small lots; Agard replied there is no lot-size restriction in the draft and that the same rules would apply to large parcels.

Agard and the council discussed potential drawbacks: the creation of nonconforming parcels that are not ready for development, and the risk that a buyer may not realize the costs involved in converting a deeded parcel into a buildable subdivided lot. Agard said these outcomes already occur under current state law and that the proposed city code change would help the city ensure those parcels are brought into compliance when a land-use application is filed.

Ending: Council members signaled general support for the concept and asked staff to post the amendment for planning commission notice and review. No vote was taken at the work session.

","Staff proposed adding a section to the subdivision code to recognize nonstandard divisions of land (deeds recorded at the county) while requiring full subdivision compliance before land use approvals; council members sought clarity on responsibility for subdivision costs and protections for buyers of divided parcels.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6115788,"Tooele City Council discusses narrowing weed enforcement in proposed nuisance-abatement ordinance",1285,517000,1802000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2736328-9a23ab1f002a52ce2eadf30ba7d2f2be&start=517&end=1802","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2736328-9a23ab1f002a52ce2eadf30ba7d2f2be/thumbnail_517000.jpg","/articles/6115788/Utah/Tooele-City-Council-discusses-narrowing-weed-enforcement-in-proposed-nuisance-abatement-ordinance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6115788-edd3708896b8b486c647db0f1179c66c/orig.mp4?Expires=1776002522&Signature=U~xp73Rarzh3ziTtioGG17GTxevTZIj5JGj-ypytCZgjqbouMG7lguB-0jIQ7Z7YNCCBqfNl8xWkNmfBGUSALo7H8IabN-Jm7f9a~aS1-gn0V5b9QT7dWv90uowY6kh-pK6ck~cATFUNoMFos7D4i5EaRHE3Www8KS~kRNLHUc2~Kth28Bb5EgGNm0Q8MZ59uNJfMuISnP3ukgRytEoIBKYucKq7F5egYW3J0RSpNnvrLxmTEoZklKpKrx3EZd2But6OJ91pBHF4Rjg8liup2rrmQbOoyus5Eeb3-6ghOO6MjLzm~9uQL2YGicV3YIWgF8Ua-Gq4d7yNZT1pSKhQ9A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Andrew Agard, Tooele City's community development director, told the City Council on March 19 that staff is proposing changes to an ordinance (2025-06) that would amend Tooele City Code section 8-4-4 on nuisance abatement to narrow routine weed enforcement to situations that create hazards.

The proposal would remove the city's existing blanket standard that treats any vegetation taller than 6 inches in the public right of way and on parcels under five acres as a violation. Instead, Agard said, enforcement would focus on three hazards: fire risk, obstructed visibility at intersections and driveways, and conditions that invite vermin or conceal persons.

\"We want our enforcement to be centered around health, safety and welfare purposes,\" Agard said, summarizing the ordinance aims and explaining that a narrower standard would reduce the number of subjective complaints staff must process.

Nut graf: The change is intended to reduce workload for the city's lone code-enforcement officer and to reduce conflict between neighbors over aesthetic complaints by emphasizing objective hazards. Council members raised questions about how the new standard would apply to businesses, empty lots and landscaping choices such as pollinator gardens.

Under the currently posted draft described at the meeting, the principal changes are: eliminating the 6-inch height requirement for routine enforcement on most lots; enforcing right-of-way vegetation only where it creates visibility problems at intersections or driveways; enforcing vegetation on parcels smaller than 1 acre only when it creates a fire hazard or nesting conditions for vermin or other animals; and retaining a 6-inch standard within 30 feet of property lines on parcels larger than 1 acre.

Agard said Tooele City has about 40,000 residents served by one code-enforcement officer, who last year handled about 400 complaints, roughly 70% of which were weeds. Agard and Mayor Winn have met with the code officer, identified in the discussion as Li Li Finai, and concluded a change in focus would reduce workload and sharpen enforcement on objectively dangerous conditions.

Council members described common examples that motivated the change: ornamental plantings and pollinator gardens that can exceed 6 inches but are intentionally planted, vacant lots where vegetation grows up and obstructs sidewalks, and instances where thin strips of tall grass cut across sightlines. Several members suggested keeping stricter standards for commercial properties. Agard responded that the draft could be adjusted to require vegetation to be kept below 6 inches in commercial zones or to add a distinct commercial standard.

Council member concerns focused on: who decides when plant material is a hazard, how quickly enforcement can act on fast-growing weeds after rain, and whether the change would make enforcement less effective against businesses that do not maintain visible yards. Agard said the proposal leaves discretion to the code officer to investigate complaints and determine whether the situation meets the hazard thresholds; he also noted that the ordinance already contains escalating civil fines and an abatement procedure that lets the city remediate and bill property owners if they do not comply.

Council members asked staff to rework language to reduce ambiguity (for example, replacing \"weeds\" with \"plant material creating a hazard\") and to return the revised draft for discussion at a future meeting before the proposed ordinance appears on the business meeting agenda.

Ending: Mayor Winn and council members thanked Agard and the code officer for the work. No vote was taken at the March 19 work session; staff was directed to revise the draft based on council feedback and bring it back for further review at the planning commission and a future council meeting.

","Tooele City staff proposed changes to the city's nuisance-abatement rules to focus enforcement on health, safety and welfare hazards rather than a blanket 6-inch height standard; council members asked for clarifications for commercial properties and enforcement guidance for the single code enforcement officer.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Tooele Council weighs limits on sheds, containers in commercial lots after unpermitted placement

Tooele staff proposes code addition to address nonstandard land divisions; council asks who pays for later improvements

Tooele City Council discusses narrowing weed enforcement in proposed nuisance-abatement ordinance