Park City Council voted 6-1 on Sept. 9 to send back to staff proposed amendments that would have created an exception for undeveloped parcels while still requiring owners to maintain 30 feet of right of way adjacent to streets and 30 feet adjacent to developed properties.

Staff said the amendment aims to reduce the maintenance burden on owners of large undeveloped tracts while keeping a maintained edge visible from the roadway. The proposal would have limited the obligation for undeveloped property to the first 30 feet of right of way and 30 feet adjacent to any neighboring developed property; other weed-and-grass provisions would remain in force for developed parcels.

The nut graf: homeowners and HOA leaders told council the change would lower neighborhood standards and magnify public-safety, fire and pest risks. Jennifer Cross, president of the Prairie Hills Addition Homeowners Association, said the amendment would “reward property owners who do nothing while punishing those who are doing everything right” and urged council to preserve the current code or craft targeted exceptions instead.

Council debate focused on balancing enforcement practicality on very large undeveloped tracts against neighborhood appearance, safety and enforcement consistency. Multiple council members asked staff to consider exemptions (for city-owned lots, for parcels with utilities installed, or by lot size) or targeted solutions rather than a broad, across-the-board change.

Outcome: Troy Hill moved to send the draft back to staff for revisions; Terry Osborne seconded. The motion passed 6-1. The council instructed staff to return with clarifications, including possible exemptions for city lots, lots with infrastructure already installed, and alternate approaches for residential versus commercial undeveloped land.

Public testimony: two Prairie Hills HOA leaders testified that many lots owned by a single builder were overgrown and that limiting maintenance to 30 feet would not address the community’s concerns.