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Planning commission sets April 16 public hearing for 'Rural Done Right' zoning rewrite
Summary
The commission scheduled a public hearing to consider a package of zoning changes labeled "Rural Done Right," including new rules for manufactured-home subdivisions, adjusted lot-size minimums, and a proposal to split commercial zoning into "general" and "downtown" districts.
The Parowan Planning and Zoning Commission voted to set a public hearing for April 16 to consider a proposed zoning rewrite the city staff and council have labeled "Rural Done Right." The rewrite includes new language to regulate manufactured-home subdivisions, adjusted minimum lot sizes and density rules, and a proposal to split the city's commercial zone into separate general and downtown commercial districts.
Dan, city manager/planning staff, presented draft changes that would allow manufactured-home subdivisions as a conditional use when 80% or more of a subdivision's units are factory-built homes, and would add design standards intended to avoid repetitive "tract" appearances. The draft borrows HUD ct standards for manufactured homes and requires varied rooflines, articulated facades and landscaping plans to preserve a rural aesthetic.
The rewrite would also modify residential lot-size minimums to increase by-right density in certain zones: single-family lots as small as 6,000 square feet in R3, twin homes with a minimum lot of 5,000 square feet per side in R2, and specific thresholds for triplexes and fourplexes. The draft limits use of planned-unit developments (PUDs) in residential zones while preserving PUD paths for mixed-use commercial projects and courtyard-style developments.
Kelly, planning staff who presented illustrative examples, urged the commission to consider preapproved building designs ("pattern zones") to speed permitting and reduce the cost premium that can accompany the more-articulated facades the draft asks for. Commissioners debated trade-offs between the added design controls (which tend to raise per-unit construction costs) and the affordability gains from smaller lots or shared-wall housing.
Commission members raised specific questions about minimum unit sizes and how to treat duplexes versus twin homes; staff proposed minimums (750 square feet per side for twin homes, 650 square feet for triplex/fourplex units) as starting points for the commission's discussion.
After public and commissioner discussion, a commissioner moved that the body set a public hearing for April 16 on the Rural Done Right draft; the motion was seconded and approved by the commission.
Why this matters The draft attempts to balance rural character and design controls with policies intended to increase housing supply and affordability by allowing smaller lots and certain multi-unit forms by right. The outcome of the April 16 public hearing will determine whether the commission recommends the rewrite to City Council and whether additional changes (for example, separate downtown commercial rules) will be pursued.
What happens next The Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing on April 16. After public testimony and any edits the commission adopts, the draft will be forwarded to the City Council for final action.
