Bill would waive separate Metro service-district annexation for territory already inside the urban growth boundary

During a public hearing April 16, 2025, Metro representatives told the Senate Committee on Housing and Development that House Bill 2356A would eliminate a separate Metro service-district annexation process for territory that already lies inside Metro's urban growth boundary (UGB) but remains outside the Metro service district boundary.

Annalisa Koehler, legislative affairs manager for Metro, and Lehi Hamburg, senior regional planner with Metro, told the committee the separate Metro annexation application is duplicative of city annexation processes, imposes a typical fee of about $3,000 and requires multiple public meetings. Metro staff said those requirements have delayed building permits in some cases for land already planned for urban uses inside the UGB.

Hamburg said Metro's UGB covers roughly 500,000 acres and that only about 1,500 acres within the UGB are not yet inside the Metro service district boundary. At current application rates, Metro staff estimated it would take about 50 years to process annexations for the remaining acreage, creating time and cost barriers for property owners and developers. Metro emphasized that the bill would not change UGB expansion criteria or city annexation requirements and that the change would apply only prospectively (not retroactively).

A senator asked whether parcels must be annexed one at a time; Metro responded that there is no statutory requirement that applications be filed singly and said property owners or local governments could submit multi-parcel applications, but the current process requires applicants to initiate annexations. Metro said the bill aims to reduce redundant paperwork, fees and delay for properties already planned for urbanization.

Committee members did not record a vote on HB 2356A during the hearing; Metro presenters offered to provide slides and legal counsel (Roger Alfred) was available online for technical questions.