Tooele City council approves zoning amendments to allow twin homes, clarify duplex and condo rules

Andrew Agard, Tooele City community development director, presented proposed text amendments to Tooele City Code Chapter 7 (Zoning) and the council adopted Ordinance 2025‑22 on July 16. Agard said the amendments formally define “twin homes” and duplexes, permit condominium plats for two‑family dwellings in R‑17 and R‑18 zones, clarify minimum lot-size rules for twin-home lots, and allow 0 lot‑line internal side‑yard setbacks for twin homes through footnote changes in the site-planning table. He also said the minimum lot-width requirement was being removed for MR zones because those zones no longer permit single‑family homes. Agard told the council the planning commission considered the item on July 9 and unanimously recommended approval. Council discussion included an anecdote from a councilmember about definition problems in another jurisdiction that delayed a closing, underscoring staff’s point that accurate definitions matter. A motion to adopt Ordinance 2025‑22 passed 5–0. Why it matters: the changes adjust what housing forms are administratively permitted in specific residential zones, streamline options for two‑family ownership via condominium plats, and clarify dimensional standards for developers and title companies. City staff said the changes are largely administrative text clarifications to match current intent and to prevent recording problems later.