Roy staff explores park-proximity tradeoffs to reduce landscaped open space and save water

At the Feb. 24 work session staff (Steve) presented an idea tied to the general plan’s water-conservation element: allow developers of multifamily housing to reduce on-site irrigated open space if the project is within a short walk (quarter or half mile) of an existing park, or alternatively accept cash-in-lieu that the city would use to upgrade nearby parks.

Steve noted that few neighboring Utah cities use the exact proximity/reduction model he proposed and that Roy’s constrained land supply complicates where cash-in-lieu funds could be spent. "Instead of you building your own, you give us the money that you would have spent on your own park so we can build a more regional park that will serve your residents," he said, describing Syracuse’s approach as a comparable example.

Commissioners discussed the implementation challenges: duplicative impact fees, municipal capacity to track and spend in-lieu funds, whether parks to receive upgrades actually exist in the needed locations, and the small number of prospective developments that would qualify. Several members endorsed exploring targeted in-lieu options for developments directly adjacent to underused parks or the rail-trail, with ring-fenced funding for accessibility and shade improvements.

Staff agreed to conduct further research on examples and mechanics—how close a development must be to a park to qualify, what percentage reductions are reasonable and how city finance rules and impact fees interact with a cash-in-lieu program. No ordinance was introduced at the work session; commissioners asked staff to return with more detail.