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Council reviews planning commission recommendations on A-1 agritourism uses, two zone-change applications and ADU limits
Summary
The council discussed a planning commission recommendation to allow certain agritourism uses as conditional uses in the Agriculture A‑1 zone, two separate rezoning applications and proposed adjustments to accessory dwelling unit rules; members directed staff to refine ordinance language and bring several items back for formal consideration.
Syracuse City Council members discussed a packet of planning items including a recommendation from the planning commission to allow agritourism-related uses in the Agriculture A‑1 zone as conditional uses, a rezoning request for single-family development at 3000 West 1200 South (proposed A‑1 to R‑2), and a separate application to change property at 2550 West 700 South from Residential R‑1 to Agriculture A‑1.
Planning staff described the proposed A‑1 text amendment (Syracuse Municipal Code section 10‑55) as creating a conditional-use framework for agritourism activities — such as farmers markets and farm‑themed events — while excluding overnight stays (camping/harvest‑host style uses) because of potential impacts including traffic, noise and late hours. Staff and council discussed limits such as parking, restroom/ADA requirements and business licensing that would still apply if a farm operated events.
Council members raised caution about using the specific term “agritourism” because the Utah Legislature is expected to consider statewide definitions and could preempt local rules. One councilmember advised removing the term from the local ordinance and listing permitted uses instead, which staff said would reduce the chance of future conflicts when the state defines the term.
Regarding the two rezoning applications: planning staff said the planning commission recommended approval of the proposal at 3000 West 1200 South (to allow single‑family homes north of Wilcox Meadows). For the application at 2550 West 700 South, council members discussed whether the applicant’s reference to agritourism in the application required delaying action; staff suggested that if the A‑1 amendment excluded the agritourism term, applicants could rely on standard business licensing and special‑use permits rather than a zoning change tied to a particular use.
On accessory dwelling units (ADUs), staff proposed clarifying code to explicitly prohibit ADUs in PRD and MXD zones and to align minimum lot size language with state guidance; council members favored matching the state threshold (6,000 sq ft) to eliminate ambiguity over whether ADUs are allowed in already dense zones.
Council also debated whether to charge a fee for pre-application consultations with staff and council. Some members argued a fee would reduce repetitive consultations that duplicate prior denials; others said charging would undercut the purpose of free pre‑application guidance and that staff caseload did not yet justify a fee. The council did not adopt a fee at the meeting and left the item open for later review if pre‑application consultations become burdensome.
Council members indicated they would ask staff to: (1) rewrite the A‑1 permitted‑use language to avoid the specific “agritourism” label, (2) return revised ADU language to match the 6,000‑sq‑ft threshold, and (3) advise on the interplay of business licensing, special‑use permits and zoning for applicants who propose farm‑themed events.
No final ordinance was adopted at the meeting; staff were directed to bring refined language and related ordinances back to a future work session or voting meeting.
