Planning commission approves ordinance updates on sewer hookups, fencing review and short-term rentals

WOODLAND HILLS, Utah — The Woodland Hills Planning Commission approved several ordinance amendments during a March 19 meeting that will require more properties to hook into the city sewer, shift routine fence reviews from the commission to an approving authority, and revise permitted-use language that affects short-term rentals.

Chairman Wayne Franson opened a public hearing on the proposed code changes and described the package of edits the commission had advertised. "This 1 is going to require, if a person the property line is within 300 feet of the sewer connection, that they'll be required to hook into the sewer," Franson said, describing the change intended "to move away to the degree possible from septic systems." He said the requirement applies both to new construction and to remodels that increase residential floor space by more than 50 percent.

The amendments also replace repeated references to "the planning commission" with "approving authority" in multiple fence-related sections of Chapter 10.11.8, which Franson said will typically vest review authority in the zoning enforcement officer. "At most instances, it'll be the zoning enforcement officer that reviewed, quest for fencing," Franson said. The package additionally updates permitted-use language in code 10.8.2.b to remove zone-specific citations and to change the short-term-occupancy threshold in one provision from 3 months to 30 days; Franson said the change follows a state-level limitation on municipal advertising bans that had, in effect, blocked short-term rentals in the past.

Public commenters asked clarifying questions. Sherry Berger sought confirmation that coated chain-link fencing would be permissible under the revised rules; Franson replied, "It is permissible. We want to get away from the bare galvanized metal chain link fence." A resident who identified himself as Brian asked whether the city had checked county or state rules on the 300-foot distance; Franson said, "We're going by the state code. So if the county is in compliance with the state code of 300 feet, then we're good." Franson told residents that required sewer connections will involve city fees to make the physical connection.

Commissioners moved through each ordinance change in a series of motions and recorded votes. The commission approved the development-and-construction-standard amendment requiring connection to the city sewer for new builds and remodels meeting the 300-foot/50-percent criteria; it approved the revision to permitted uses in 10.8.2.b (removing zone callouts and changing the short-term occupancy threshold to 30 days); and it approved the series of fencing-code edits that shift routine approvals to the approving authority and add clarifying material- and barbed-wire language. Commissioners also approved adding business-license considerations to conditional-use permit language under 10.15.5.

Franson said the detailed ordinance text had been published in the local newspaper before the hearing. He and other commissioners said they would continue to refine some wording — notably language about how sewer laterals and lift stations would be handled where gravity-flow is not possible — before the final codification.

The commission recorded approval of all motions related to the advertised code revisions during the meeting.