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Council removes 24‑foot road option from 2026 development standards after debate on enforcement and parking
Summary
The Provo City Council voted to remove a 24‑foot pavement option for infill and hillside projects from the 2026 development standards amid council concern about future enforcement, emergency access and parking impacts; the annual ordinance update to align code with state/federal changes also passed.
The Provo City Council approved updates to the city’s 2026 development standards and separately voted to remove a 24‑foot pavement option for certain infill and hillside projects after a debate focused on enforcement and emergency access.
City staff described the ordinance as an annual update to align Provo’s code with state and federal requirements and to add a detail for the city’s water sampling station. "This code is... updated by all these agencies periodically," staff said during the presentation.
The substantive debate centered on a 24‑foot pavement cross section that would allow parking on one side. Councilor Hogan moved a substitute motion to remove the 24‑foot option, saying enforcement uncertainty and potential risks to emergency access made him reluctant to broaden its use. "My concern is around…we have these streets that we're gonna start to enforce...I'd like to see how that goes," he said.
Other councilors emphasized competing priorities: preserving narrower street character for some neighborhoods, providing flexibility for infill development where land is scarce, and ensuring fire‑marshal review. Councilor Whipple argued narrower streets provide traffic calming and neighborhood character, while Councilor Whitlock and others stressed the safety requirement that the fire marshal approve narrower cross sections.
The council approved the substitute motion to remove the 24‑foot option (substitute vote recorded 4–3) and then voted on the amended ordinance as substituted; the final vote on the ordinance was recorded as passing 5–2.
What happens next: staff will publish the amended code language and implement the revised standard drawings; applicants with development agreements or vested applications filed before the change will proceed under previous rules. The council directed staff to monitor enforcement outcomes for existing narrow streets before considering any future reintroduction of the option.
