South Jordan City staff presented an updated housing report and a set of proposed implementation strategies to address a large shortfall of units affordable to low‑ and moderate‑income households, and asked the council whether to direct staff to pursue a text amendment to the PD (planned development) floating zone to allow more than eight units per acre east of the FrontRunner commuter rail.

The presentation was led by Ryan Smith of Zions Bank Public Finance and by City staff, who framed the report as both a planning tool and a compliance item. "It is a state requirement under Utah Code 10‑9a," Ryan Smith said while starting the presentation. City staff said the report will be packaged with an implementation plan and returned for adoption as part of the general plan.

The report summarizes current conditions and projections. Staff said South Jordan's population is roughly 82,000 and, under present trends, could increase by about 14,000 people by 2030. Household size is projected to fall slightly — from about 3.14 persons per household to just over 3.0 — which staff tied to statewide and regional trends and changes in unit mix and affordability. Using standard metropolitan‑area median income (AMI) thresholds and typical mortgage assumptions, staff said many essential workers and single‑earner households face prices well above what is affordable on their incomes. Staff reported a housing gap of 5,329 households for the combined low‑ and moderate‑income range and about 3,000 units for households below 80% AMI when comparing household income distribution with the existing housing stock.

Why it matters: staff and council framed the shortfall as a policy and fiscal challenge because missing affordable options can affect workforce housing, school enrollment and long‑term planning for infrastructure and transit. Ryan Smith and Joe Moss, the city's long‑range planner, reviewed both data sources and methodological caveats, noting that commonly used datasets (ACS five‑year estimates, assessor rolls and the Utah housing unit inventory) lag actual market conditions in a high‑growth city.

Council members and staff discussed several implementation strategies that the state permits cities to adopt as part of a moderate‑income housing plan (MIHP). Staff said state rules require cities to choose from a menu of strategies and to include certain items because South Jordan has fixed‑guideway transit; staff proposed seven strategies (the state requires at least five, and six for transportation funding priority). Proposed and discussed strategies included better tracking and clarification of accessory dwelling unit (ADU) rules (including ADUs in Daybreak), station‑area regulations near transit, reduced or refined parking requirements for certain housing types, incentives for moderate‑income units in new developments, use of HOME consortium (Salt Lake County) funds via interlocal agreements, and targeted use of RDA (redevelopment) funds for senior or other moderate‑income housing projects.

On ADUs, staff said the state changed the definition to include whether the owner intends to rent the unit, and that the city now asks applicants to state intent in writing when permits show finished basements or separate entrances. "We prefer the upfront method of you're asking for a building permit," staff said, noting enforcement on the back end is difficult.

On parking, council members debated the timing and risks of reducing parking minimums. One council member said South Jordan currently lacks the transit ridership levels to dependably reduce residential parking and urged caution; staff noted many parking ratios in the code have not been updated for years and that minimums can raise construction costs. Staff also discussed shared‑parking approaches and site‑specific parking studies as options.

The PD floating‑zone question: staff asked whether the council wanted a text amendment to the PD floating zone to allow more than eight units per acre not only within station‑area plans, but also in a narrowly defined area east of the FrontRunner rail (roughly everything south of South Jordan Parkway and east of FrontRunner). Staff framed the change as a tool to give the council discretion on density in a corridor where commercial redevelopment and mixed uses may make vertically oriented housing economically feasible. "If we're gonna do more housing in a more dense way, this is a perfect place to put it," a council member said during discussion. Staff emphasized the amendment would not automatically rezone land; developers would still come forward with applications and the council would retain approval authority.

Other implementation items: staff explained the city has participated in the Salt Lake County HOME consortium (HUD CDBG/HOME funding) since 2014 but has not previously drawn projects back into South Jordan. Staff proposed exploring use of consortium funds for homeowner‑repair programs or rental assistance targeting local residents, and noted the consortium's application process is competitive among participating cities.

Next steps: staff said they will distribute the full draft housing report to the council and return the MIHP and related code amendments to the planning commission for formal review. The planning staff also expects the FrontRunner station‑area plan to move through regional review in coming weeks with an aim to present it for council action this spring.

Ending: council members asked staff to return with specific draft code language for the PD floating‑zone amendment and with more detail about parking adjustments, ADU tracking and potential HOME‑funded programs before any formal vote.