Emigration Canyon planning panel debates fence setbacks, wildlife openings and who can approve exceptions

EMIGRATION CANYON, Utah — The Emigration Canyon Planning Commission spent most of its April 3 meeting debating proposed changes to the municipal zoning code that would restrict where and how property owners can build fences along Emigration Canyon Road and other local streets.

Planners presented draft language recasting parts of Title 19 (zoning) and related Title 14 (roadway/engineering standards). The draft would keep a 42-inch baseline height limit for most perimeter fences and add rules allowing taller fences only where visual impacts are mitigated by horizontal articulation or a landscaped buffer. It would also require wildlife openings and set a minimum setback from the paved surface of the road for fences fronting Emigration Canyon Road.

Commissioners and staff said the proposals aim to protect sight lines and the canyon’s visual character, preserve wildlife movement and reduce long stretches of “wall-like” fencing. They traded detail about how large buffers should be, where exceptions should be decided and how the ordinance should treat replacement fences that predate any change.

“'No fence may be approved, constructed, or installed within wildlife corridors, riparian areas, unique geographic features, and or other historical or cultural resources,'” planner Matt read from the draft during the meeting, highlighting the commission’s intent to protect sensitive areas. He told…