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Council removes ban on artificial wood‑textured siding in Westfield Central plan
Summary
The Springville City Council approved an amendment to the Westfield Central neighborhood plan removing a prohibition on artificial wood‑textured siding and a requirement about transparent stains, after staff said the rules are visually minor and can delay construction.
The Springville City Council voted to amend the Westfield Central new‑neighborhood plan to eliminate the prohibition on artificial wood‑textured siding surfaces and to remove a requirement about transparent stains on visible wood features.
City planning staff presented the change as a minor design‑standard adjustment intended to reduce delays in design review and construction. "We added this, prohibition against artificial wood texture siding surfaces," said Josh, a city staff member, explaining that the amendment would allow siding that has a faux wood texture rather than requiring the smooth fiber‑cement finish commonly specified.
The staff presentation said builders had provided documentation that procuring and installing the smooth (non‑textured) siding can be more expensive than textured siding. Josh said the planning team decided the visual difference is subtle and not worth imposing if it increases cost or slows development. "If their site plan approval expires, then yes. They would need to reapply and start again at the site plan process and would be subject to any changes to the codes or new requirements that have been imposed by the city in the interim," Josh said about timing for approvals.
Council discussion focused on whether the change affects the public interest or the neighborhood character. One council member said that, aside from personal preference for smooth siding, the difference is unlikely to be noticed in the field and therefore not worth the regulatory friction. After discussion, a motion to approve "ordinance number 0 1 dash 20 25 amending the Westfield Central new neighborhood plan to eliminate the prohibitions against artificial wood textured siding surfaces and the use of transparent stain or other wood treatment" was moved and seconded.
A roll call vote was recorded: Mike — yes; Mindy — yes; Jake — yes; Logan — yes. The motion passed.
The ordinance text and the effective date were not specified during the meeting record; staff indicated any developer whose prior site‑plan approval has expired would need to reapply and could be subject to current code requirements.
