Pleasant Grove delays vote on new water‑efficiency landscape standards; staff to revise wording

The Pleasant Grove Planning Commission opened a public hearing on June 11 to consider proposed amendments to city code 10‑15‑28 that would adopt new water‑efficiency landscape standards and align city regulations with incentive programs offered by the Central Utah Water Conservancy District.

Director Cardinius presented the proposal and explained the district programs that would be available to residents if the city adopted the required standards. Cardinius said residents are currently eligible for partial rebates but that adopting the district’s water‑efficiency requirements would increase available incentives. “If the proposed landscape water efficiency standards are adopted then those incentives double up,” Director Cardinius said, describing how lawn‑replacement rebates would increase from about $1.50 to $3.00 per square foot and switch‑to‑drip rebates from about $0.50 to $1.00 per square foot; tree rebates would remain up to $50 per tree.

Cardinius walked commissioners through five required measures drawn from the district’s model language: a minimum lawn width of 8 feet at the narrowest point (with exemptions for very small lots under 250 square feet); prohibition on lawns on slopes greater than 25 percent (4:1); a 50 percent maximum lawn coverage for front and side yards of new single‑family homes; and a 20 percent maximum lawn coverage in common areas of commercial, industrial, institutional and multifamily developments outside active recreation areas. He emphasized the 50 percent cap would apply only to new residential construction and would not force changes to existing yards.

Commissioners asked clarifying questions about how driveways would be counted in lawn‑area calculations, how compliance would be enforced, and how projects already under construction would be treated. Cardinius said plan review at the building permit stage and inspections would be used to check compliance, projects in progress would be grandfathered (not retroactively required), and staff would work with the city manager’s office on resident outreach if the ordinance is adopted.

After discussion the commission voted to continue the item to the June 25 meeting for attorney review and wording revisions so staff can address driveway counting and other drafting issues. The continuation motion passed unanimously. The ordinance language will be revised and brought back with any legal edits and, if adopted later, would make residents eligible for the higher rebate levels described by the district.