Lindon Council opens public hearing on adopting state Wildland-Urban Interface code

Lindon City Council opened a public hearing to consider an ordinance amendment adopting the 2006 Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) code after the Utah Legislature passed House Bill 48 requiring municipal adoption.

Planning Director Mike Florence told the council the state has adopted the WUI code and HB48 directs cities to incorporate the 2006 International Code Council WUI provisions into local regulations; Lindon staff prepared a proposed amendment to Title 15.08 to fulfill that mandate. "This past legislative session ... the Utah legislature passed house bill 48," Florence said, framing the ordinance as a compliance action with state law.

The ordinance as presented would apply primarily to new single-family homes, certain additions and detached structures, and some roofing or facade work depending on the city's hazard designation for a property. Florence and building official Bryce McConkie said existing homes are not required to be retrofitted solely because of the change; McConkie summarized the policy succinctly: "Just the new structure." Staff described three hazard classifications—moderate, high and extreme—and said some parcels will be subject to higher material and defensible-space requirements in higher-hazard zones.

Staff acknowledged several items remain unresolved. They said an official state WUI map is still pending and that Lindon prepared a proposed city map using projected state guidance; the proposed local map highlights areas in orange and intentionally includes the Canberra Heights subdivision based on its plat and fire-flow/sprinkler characteristics. Staff also said they could not provide a precise cost estimate for compliance because required measures depend on the specific work. Florence told the council the WUI provisions are intended "just to minimize the fire risk" and include measures such as defensible space (staff referenced roughly 30 feet) and noncombustible materials in some cases.

Council members asked clarifying questions about scope and applicability. One council member asked whether adding a shed or reroofing would trigger the standards for the existing house; staff replied that the code applies to qualifying modifications and new structures and does not retroactively require full compliance for unchanged existing homes. On mapping authority, staff said the state map will guide jurisdictions but the city must adopt its own map and can show which parcels will be in the WUI zone.

A motion to open the public hearing was made and seconded; the council voted to open the hearing unanimously. No final ordinance vote occurred during the portion of the meeting in the transcript provided; staff indicated they will continue to present the map and proposed ordinance language as the next steps in the process.

Next procedural steps: Lindon staff will finalize and share the proposed city WUI map when updated state guidance becomes available and proceed with public comment as part of the hearing record. The council did not adopt the ordinance at this session.