Council approves code edits to align with HB 4064; requires same design elements for manufactured/ prefab dwellings

The City of Sandy adopted Ordinance 2025-32 on November 17 to amend development-code sections for consistency with House Bill 4064, which requires local governments to treat manufactured and prefabricated dwellings the same as single-family dwellings.

Staff told council the grant-funded review found the code largely compliant but identified a handful of missed alignments. Staff proposed technical edits, clarified that the code should refer to "manufactured dwellings," and recommended that manufactured and prefabricated dwellings provide the same design elements as single-family detached homes. The mayor proposed and staff drafted a small set of edits during the meeting to add cross-references and harmonize language; the council accepted the amendments and passed the ordinance on first and second readings.

Council discussion focused on ensuring design standards would not be more restrictive than statute allows while preserving neighborhood character; staff noted some design elements (porches, trim, varied materials) are commonly available for modern manufactured homes and can be achieved without undermining affordability. The ordinance is intended as a housekeeping alignment with state statute rather than a broad expansion of ADU or cottage-cluster rules.