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Commission debates R1-T residential zone to enable smaller single-family lots, with STR ban and enforcement concerns
Summary
Commissioners discussed creating a new R1-T residential zone to allow small-lot (5,000 sq. ft.) single-family housing and explicitly ban short-term rentals; they flagged enforcement limits, recommended division caps for agricultural land, and said ADU policy and utility standards will go to the Town Council for guidance.
The Orderville Planning and Zoning Commission spent significant time on June 29, 2026, discussing a proposed R1-T single-family residential zone intended to enable moderate-density, moderate-income housing on smaller lots (roughly 5,000 square feet). The draft features discussed included an explicit prohibition on short-term rentals in R1-T, allowance of foundation-built single-family dwellings (no RV pads), separate utility connections for each lot, flag-lot permission provided lots front onto a public road, and minimum lot frontages of about 50 feet enabling homes of roughly 2,200 square feet of potential footprint.
Commissioners raised several policy concerns that will shape the next draft. They recommended limiting the ability to subdivide large agricultural parcels into many small R1-T lots (suggested caps such as 10 lots or limiting R1-T to one-offs or small subdivisions) to prevent mass subdivision of AG lands. There was no consensus on internal accessory dwelling units (ADUs); some members argued ADUs would be difficult to prohibit while others expressed parking and intensity concerns. Commissioners also noted enforcement challenges, particularly for banning short-term rentals, and suggested relying on denial of business licenses and conditional use permits as practical enforcement levers. The proponent will refine the draft and bring it to the Town Council for broader discussion, including division caps, ADU policy, and utility/access standards; the commission expects multiple months of iterative drafting and future public hearings.
The minutes record specific policy language items the commission asked to adjust, including removing phrasing that could allow multiple dwellings on a single lot and deleting "similar use determination" clauses so that R1-T remains strictly residential. The commission emphasized that the ordinance would require iterative fine-tuning and that final adoption would follow additional hearings and council review.
