Attainable housing overlay (SHAR)
Starter Home Attainability Residential overlay: $400,000 sales price cap, 1,200-square-foot footprints, 4,000 to 5,999 square-foot lots and owner-occupancy deed restrictions. Tabled 3-1 on Mar. 18, 2025 until a May work session.
- Where it stands
- Tabled
- Type
- Zone change
- Location
- Citywide
Every hearing and vote
December 10, 2024 · City Council
Attainable housing overlay zone
Discussed
Planner Brittney Harris presented a voluntary overlay aimed at single-family homes for critical and essential workers, setting a target price and adjusting density to meet it, with a 10-year owner-occupancy deed restriction. Council Members Chris Condie and Michelle Stallings questioned whether it would reach affordable price levels; Stallings also said controlling land prices is not the primary purpose of zoning. The mayor stressed the need for infrastructure. The council agreed to hold a work session on the proposal and other affordable housing options.
January 7, 2025 · City Council work session
Attainable housing proposal
Discussed
The mayor proposed an overlay with a 50% density bonus for homes of 1,200 square feet or less on 6,000-square-foot lots, owner-occupancy deed restrictions, a 30-foot street standard with mountable curbs, and letting owners finish garages and landscaping themselves. Participation would be voluntary through development agreements. Utah League of Cities and Towns Executive Director Cameron Diehl said the concept has drawn interest from cities statewide. Council Member Heather Newall supported it if the bonus is tied to the smaller home sizes. Council Member Michelle Stallings favored protecting existing affordable housing and asked whether a new zoning designation would work without the bonus. Council Member Chris Condie asked about rental price impacts and requests to apply it in inappropriate areas. Council Member Paul Hancock questioned whether smaller homes reduce infrastructure demand and suggested density limits. Council Member Paige Albrecht asked about limits in half-acre areas and nuisance rules.
March 4, 2025 · City Council work session
Attainable housing overlay zone
Discussed
Planner Brittney Harris described an overlay limiting sale prices to under $400,000 for detached single-family homes on smaller lots with design requirements such as no garages. Council members asked how owner-occupancy would be enforced. Resident and home builder Jason Harris cautioned against over-regulating, which could make the price target unreachable. The council discussed adding flexibility for developers while keeping affordability and owner-occupancy.
March 18, 2025 · City Council
Ordinance 15-2025: Starter Home Attainability Residential (SHAR) overlay (Chapter 5)
Tabled · 3-1
Planner Brittney Harris described a $400,000 sales price cap, 1,200-square-foot footprints and lots of 4,000 to 5,999 square feet. Members discussed infrastructure capacity and whether it would create attainable housing; the mayor proposed detailed case studies and hoped it could be a model for other cities. Kenneth Glade urged denial, calling it not viable. The council tabled it until the May work session.