This Online Open House has been closed, a decision was made by the City Council on March 5, 2024. For additional information regarding the decision please visit the City Council’s Minutes and Records page, or contact the Staff Planner listed under the “Public Comments and Questions” section of this page. Thank you!
Landscaping and Buffers Chapter Amendments
Zoning Text Amendment
Petition Number: PLNPCM2023-00098
Location: City-Wide
Salt Lake City’s Planning Division is considering updates to the Landscaping Chapter in the Zoning Ordinance. The purpose of the Zoning Ordinance text amendment is to better address landscaping regulations as the effects of climate change are experienced through extreme drought conditions and changing weather patterns. The amendments are intended to better conform to City goals of reduction of water consumption, enhancement of the urban forest, and improvements to air quality and green infrastructure.
These updates are the result of the September 6th, 2022 City Council work session direction and initiates implementation of the Urban Forest Action Plan.
View Proposed Landscaping and Buffers Chapter Amendments.
Goals of the Updated Landscaping and Buffers Chapter
The updated Landscaping and Buffers chapter will:
- Clarify, simplify, and reorganize the Landscaping chapter to be more user friendly.
- Improve accessibility of landscaping best practices for improved compliance and conservation.
- Enhance livability of the community by reducing the urban heat island effect, improving air quality and endurance of the urban forest by fostering tree health and preservation, and instilling the importance of community appearance as experienced from the public realm.
- Address the use of turf and artificial turf on private and public property.
- Specify responsibilities of property owners.
- Reduce unnecessary water consumption by requiring water wise and drought tolerant landscaping choices.
- Improve water quality by promoting low impact development strategies to reduce stormwater runoff.
- Allow all residents of the City to continue to be eligible for rebates for replacing turf with water wise landscaping.
- And, reflect potential changes to the State Code during the 2023 legislative session.
Additional Information
Next Steps
- Notice of this application has been sent to Community Council Chairs throughout the City, who may choose to schedule the matter at an upcoming meeting. Please contact the chair(s) of these organizations to determine whether a community council will review this petition and when and how that meeting will occur.
- A 45-day notice period to solicit comments on the chapter updates is held before a public hearing with the Planning Commission can be scheduled. This notice period will end March 27, 2023.
- During and following this comment period, the Planning Division will consider all public comments received and make appropriate modifications to the chapter updates to better meet the needs of the City.
- The Planning Commission held a public hearing for additional public comments and made a recommendation to City Council on April 26, 2023.
- City Council will hold a public hearing at a future date for additional public comments and to make a final decision on the matter.
What is the role of the Planning Staff in this Process
Planning Staff responds to public comments, answers questions regarding best management practices, will make appropriate modifications to the draft chapter, and will brief and make recommendations to Planning Commission and City Council.
Public Comments and Questions
We want to hear from you! To submit a comment or question please contact the staff planner via email or leave a voicemail, your questions will be answered within a week after the comment period has ended.
- Start of Comment Period: February 10, 2023
- End of Comment Period: Ongoing
The Planning Division will consider and evaluate all comments received as modification to the Landscaping and Buffers draft continue to be made.
Nannette Larsen, Senior Planner // nannette.larsen@slcgov.com // 801.535.7645