Springdale planners debate whether to clarify rules for pools in property setbacks

Springdale Planning Commission members opened a discussion about whether the town’s zoning code should explicitly address swimming pools and setbacks, and asked staff to return with draft language that reflects commissioners’ preferred options.

Tom Kinston, a Planning Commissioner, explained the issue: the town’s setback definition bars “any building or structure or parking area from the finished grade upward,” but in‑ground pools are largely horizontal and flush with grade, so the code is unclear whether they must be kept out of setback areas. Kinston said the commission should pick among three general approaches: prohibit pools in setbacks; allow pools with a fixed small setback (commonly 3–5 feet in other Utah jurisdictions); or use a case‑by‑case rule such as a 45‑degree setback…