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West Valley City Council continues public hearing on residential surfacing changes to Oct. 14 after residents urge stronger enforcement
Summary
After a public hearing on application ZT-5-2025 (proposed changes to residential surfacing and landscaping), the council voted unanimously to continue the item to Oct. 14 to allow additional study and to include code enforcement in follow-up discussions. Residents urged enforcement of existing maintenance ordinances and questioned loosening surfacing limits to 50%.
West Valley City Council on Sept. 9 opened a public hearing on application ZT-5-2025, a staff-filed proposal to revise residential surfacing and landscaping standards — including adding definitions transcribed in the packet as "zero escape" and increasing allowed lot surfacing to 50% — and then voted to continue the item to Oct. 14 to allow more study and an additional study session that will explicitly include code enforcement.
The hearing drew multiple public comments. Mike Markham told the council that allowing larger areas of surfacing would reward property owners who do not maintain yards and would worsen the city’s image; he described parking spillover near the large apartment building at 4100 South and Redwood Road and urged more enforcement of existing standards rather than loosening rules. "What's it going to take to start caring?" Markham asked the council.
Jim Vo, who identified himself as a member of the city’s Clean and Beautiful Committee for about 10 years, said the city has improved its image but still suffers from persistent property-maintenance problems and inconsistent code enforcement. "We should be tightening up those ordinances instead of going after a driveway," he told the council, citing oversized vehicles, unattended trailers and overgrown weeds as priorities for enforcement.
Ryan Mahoney, who identified himself as a candidate for the West Valley City Council at-large, spoke in favor of the amendment, saying it could help create water-wise yards but that the city must balance loosening some landscaping restrictions with tightening enforcement in other areas.
City Manager Peely said the surfacing and chlorination items have been under discussion for some time and that staff brought the surfacing proposal forward after prior conversations during the budget process. Following council discussion, a motion (mover and seconder not named in the transcript) to continue ZT-5-2025 to Oct. 14 passed unanimously; council members confirmed the continuance should include a review of code enforcement measures related to the surfacing standards.
Next steps: Staff will prepare materials for a study session and an Oct. 14 council continuation that includes code-enforcement staff and specific implementation options for the proposed surfacing and landscaping changes.
