Roy City planning commission backs definition and time limits for garage/yard sales, adds side/backyard language

Roy City’s Planning Commission on July 14, 2026 voted to forward a favorable recommendation to the City Council to add a definition for garage and yard sales in Title 10 and to include language that explicitly mentions side and back yards.

Staff presented the change as a code-enforcement tool requested by the code officer to prevent extended, business-like activity on front lawns and to provide a clear standard for when an outdoor selling activity becomes a regulated business. Staff said the proposed approach mirrors other nearby cities and suggested limits such as up to eight days total or three consecutive weekends as an illustrative model.

Public comment was mixed. Tim Higgs asked that the rules allow backyard and side-yard sales where appropriate and suggested the commission consider a standing agenda slot for general public comment. A commenter identifying herself as Nancy said a single violator should be handled with existing ordinances rather than imposing new rules that affect 15,000 property owners; Shelley Polston said the proposal risked micromanaging private property.

Commissioners and staff noted that some enforcement gaps exist because the code lacks a clear definition of a garage or yard sale; a definition would give the code-enforcement officer authority to address cases that resemble an ongoing business conducted from a yard. Commissioners agreed language using the term "typically" covers side and back yards but added explicit reference to side/backyards to avoid confusion. The motion to forward a favorable recommendation with that amendment passed on a voice vote.

The commission's recommendation will be transmitted to the City Council; the commission’s action is advisory and does not itself change the code.