A couple of things to talk about today.

First, a new, most interesting bill that showed up this week.  HB239 – Local Land Use Amendments, is really kind of a misnomer because it is more about planning for currently unincorporated areas, in the case of this bill, just for Salt Lake County.  It really is quite a planning-positive bill.  What I found so intriguing about it is that it sets forth some of the very things that the Land Use Task Force’s working group on annexation code (which I chaired over the last couple of years, and resulted in the state annexation code reorganization last legislative session) has talked about as potential ways the annexation code might be revamped.

I’ve been trying to find out who worked with Rep. Teuscher to put this bill together, so far no luck.  More to come on this.

The other thing I wanted to focus on was a piece in today’s SL Trib about the Zoning Atlas and its introduction in Utah.  You may recall having heard about the National Zoning Atlas as it was starting its rollout some time back.  Here’s a recent Bloomberg story that gives background and update on what’s happening with the Zoning Atlas.

Today in the Trib, there’s a Voices piece by Sara Bronin, founder of the Atlas, about the December completion of the Atlas for Utah, and what it shows.

One of the primary purposes of the Atlas, as outlined in the Bloomberg story, is:

By making visible the arcane and byzantine rules that underscore the lack of housing supply, her organization aims to expose how the housing affordability crisis is driven by zoning — which she has described as “arguably the most important power of local government, with tremendous impacts on the economy, the environment and our society.”

For our fair state, similar to most others, the Atlas finds:

Consider, for instance, the number of units allowed in new residential developments. Multifamily housing is the type of housing that tends to be most affordable — and builders can construct it at scale. Unfortunately, Utah zoning codes prohibit it nearly everywhere. Statewide, just 3% of land allows multi-family housing. Across the Salt Lake City metro region (28 jurisdictions, including West Valley City and West Jordan), only 5% of residential land allows multifamily housing by right.

By contrast, 99% of residential land statewide allows single-family housing by right. Single-family housing is even more expensive when it needs to be on a large lot. Across Utah, roughly 70% of single-family land requires lots of about an acre or more. Even in the Salt Lake City metro area, a quarter of single-family land carries those large-lot requirements. These rules don’t just shape neighborhood character. They determine whether housing can be modest and attainable, or scarce by design. They can also determine whether the state’s primary mode of devselopment is sprawl.

Bronin goes on to tout the need for allowing more ADUs, smaller lots, and less parking requirements as a way to address the issue.  Right in line with the dominant themes being put forward in this year’s (and the last couple of years) legislative session.