Davis County launches yearlong rewrite of general plan and land-use code

Davis County officials and planning consultants on Tuesday outlined an accelerated, roughly 12-month effort to update the county’s general plan and to comprehensively rewrite its land-use and building codes.

Valerie Claussen, principal of Planning Outpost, told the Davis County Commission work session the project will refresh the county’s general plan — last substantially revised in 2005 — and produce a separate, heavier rewrite of Titles 14 and 15, the county’s building and zoning codes. “It’s a long range strategic document that guides a community over 10 to 20 years,” Claussen said, describing the general plan as a policy framework that will be paired with a code update to enable implementation.

The presentation laid out a public-engagement program that begins with a land-use and priorities open house on March 11 where residents can visit presentation stations on land use, transportation and trails; staff also plan a project website, direct mailings targeted to unincorporated property owners, stakeholder meetings and the statutorily required public hearings before adoption. Claussen said outreach will prioritize residents of the county’s unincorporated areas while keeping city officials informed.

Staff described the county’s policy direction for unincorporated land: development should occur in cities, with the county retaining responsibility for a handful of special project areas such as refuse operations and sewer districts. The presentation included quantitative details staff said will inform the plan: the general plan update will account for roughly 3,400 residents living in unincorporated Davis County and about 2,500 acres identified as developable in those areas.

The scope also includes an update to the county resource management plan (an element of the general plan, last compiled in 2017) and incorporation of recently required state elements, including a countywide water management element. A commissioner noted that Steve Bowman of the Utah Department of Natural Resources can supply an updated natural-hazards section at no charge; staff said they would integrate that material.

On schedule, staff described a phased workplan: current initiation and compilation of existing conditions and GIS data; the March open house and stakeholder outreach; drafting of the general plan and a concurrent gap-analysis; then a more iterative code rewrite, with legal and staff review ahead of public hearings and adoption. Claussen characterized the timetable as aggressive but deliverable within 12 months.

Commissioners discussed outreach tactics and agreed the county should use direct mail to unincorporated property owners, post material on its newsletter and social channels, and coordinate with city and regional planning efforts. Commissioners also discussed appointing one or more commissioners as liaisons to unincorporated residents; several volunteered informally.

Next steps: staff will finalize the project website and outreach materials, confirm the March 11 open-house logistics and begin compiling existing conditions and code-gap materials. Formal public hearings and planning-commission review will follow as drafts are completed.