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Planning Commission directs staff to simplify sports-court regulations, focus on fencing and setbacks
Summary
The Commission agreed to a streamlined approach to LMC Section 9-12-21 on sports courts: reference sport-specific standards, regulate permanent fixtures (fencing), require maintenance and setback protections, and rely on existing lighting rules; staff will revise the draft and return.
The Brian Head Planning Commission on June 16 endorsed a principle-driven approach to regulating private sports courts, directing staff to simplify a draft LMC addition and focus regulation on permanent fixtures such as fencing, setbacks and maintenance rather than mandating full sport-dimension standards for backyard courts.
Planning and Building Administrator Greg Sant told the Commission he had identified official standards from USA Pickleball and the U.S. Track and Court Builders Association and suggested referencing those standards rather than embedding fixed measurements in the town code. Commissioners broadly agreed that private, small-scale courts (for example driveway-sized or backyard courts) should not be forced to meet full public-facility dimensions; instead the proposed ordinance should address fencing, lighting consistency with existing LMC standards, acceptable materials (including coated chain-link as an alternative to bare metallic chain link), and maintenance requirements.
Chairperson Deutschlander emphasized that setbacks exist to preserve vegetative buffers and argued courts should not be allowed to extend to property lines; the Commission favored allowing intrusion into required setbacks only up to half the setback distance. Commissioners also asked that fencing color and finish be governed by the town's existing Chapter 12 standards and that code language require fencing to be "well maintained" to allow enforcement when fencing deteriorates. The Commission asked staff to add a requirement that applicants demonstrate on-site snow-storage plans where applicable.
Greg Sant will return with a revised ordinance that (a) simplifies the structure, (b) references external sport standards where appropriate, (c) focuses on fencing and placement, and (d) cross-references existing lighting and fencing color standards in Chapter 12.
