Tooele City Council removes 50% turf cap in residential landscaping ordinance

Tooele City Council voted 5–0 on May 6 to adopt Ordinance 2026-11, amending City Code section 7-14-11 to clarify residential landscaping rules and remove a previously discussed 50% artificial-turf limitation. The changes also move the ordinance’s effective-date text to the chapter heading for clarity.

Andrew Agard, the city’s community development director, briefed the council that the proposed edits are intended to "clean up and make easier to understand" the landscaping chapter, including removing the width and total-square-footage limitations and clarifying irrigation-system language.

During council discussion, members debated whether to retain a percentage cap on artificial turf. Staff’s original draft recommended keeping the 50% limit for enforcement reasons; the planning commission proposed eliminating that percentage. Realtor Kelly Anderson, speaking during the public hearing, urged removal of the 50% limitation, saying property owners should have broad discretion over their yards. "As a realtor, I look at property rights, and anytime you start putting limitations on what a resident can do with their own property, I really think it should be your goal to create an environment where citizens can live their best life," Anderson said.

After deliberation, a council member moved to adopt the planning commission’s recommendation — moving the date to the chapter heading and removing the 50% turf cap — and another council member seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

The ordinance will replace the prior language in the code as amended; the council did not attach additional conditions to enforcement other than the clarifying edits discussed at the meeting. No appeals or further procedural steps were recorded in the meeting minutes.

Next steps: the ordinance will be posted per standard city procedures and enforced according to the amended code language.