Weber County planners back JDC Ranch amendment to add 275 ‘attainable’ homes with deed restrictions

The Weber County Planning Commission recommended approval July 9 of an amendment to the JDC Ranch development agreement that would add 275 attainable housing units to the already-approved 725 units, bringing the development’s maximum to 1,000 units.

The amendment would designate each of the 275 additional units as “attainable,” set a base price cap of $400,000 (excluding garages, unfinished basements and yard landscaping), require owner-occupancy deed restrictions for the attainable units, and allow a limited increase in townhome product in exchange for clustering density to preserve other yard/open-space features.

Planning staff told commissioners the applicant is proposing a 10-year owner-occupancy deed restriction but that county commissioners had discussed a much longer term. “The initial base price cannot exceed $400,000,” staff said during the presentation, describing the developer’s definition of an attainable starter home and the exclusions from that price point.

Why it matters

County staff and the developer framed the amendment as a response to an acute affordability problem across Utah. Developer Brian Bayless and his team said the additional units would be scattered through the project to avoid concentrated affordable pockets and that the product would be single-family in form, with some smaller lots and some homes without immediate garages to reach the target price.

Steve Walder (Governor’s Office), who spoke during the public hearing, urged the commission to support policies that create homeownership opportunities. “Housing affordability is a crisis that is something we’ve never had to deal with,” he…