Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Orem staff outline code changes after complaints about 35‑foot flat‑roof house; state law limits options
Summary
City planning staff told the Orem City Council they will study code changes to reduce the visual impact of very tall, flat‑roof homes after neighbors complained about a 35‑foot "shoe box" house, but said state law prevents regulating roof pitch or exterior color.
City planning staff briefed the Orem City Council on proposals to curb the visual impact of very tall, flat‑roof homes after neighbors raised complaints about a recently built 35‑foot house described in the meeting as a ‘‘shoe box.’’ Staff said state law limits what the city can regulate, but offered several code approaches the city could pursue.
"State law prohibits us from regulating the pitch of a house," a city staff member said during the presentation. "We can't tell people what color they can paint their house." That statutory limitation means the city cannot mandate roof pitch or color on single‑family and twin homes; staff said it can, however, regulate other structural design elements and dimensional standards.
Staff outlined options that could reduce the perceived bulk of tall homes without regulating roof…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
