Planning commission denies request to loosen accessory-structure setbacks in Germany PUD

The Cottonwood Heights City Planning Commission on Aug. 6, 2025 voted to deny a conditional-use permit request by Brent Johnson on behalf of the Jerney Master Association to amend accessory-structure setback rules in the Germany planned unit development.

Commissioners said the change would be precedent-setting and should be considered as a citywide zoning text amendment rather than a site-specific exception.

Staff said the application, listed as CUP-25-011, arose after homeowners in the Germany PUD built open-air accessory structures — pergolas, gazebos and similar features — on lots that are substantially smaller than the city’s standard R1A lots. Maverick, a city planner who presented an overview, told the commission that the Germany PUD lots average about 5,000–6,000 square feet, compared with the 8,000-square-foot standard for R1A zoning. Staff and the applicant met with the building and fire departments to confirm safety constraints and compliance requirements.

Brent Johnson,…