Perry City adopts land‑use omnibus amendments to align local code with state changes

PERRY, Utah — Perry City Council on March 12 approved Ordinance 26b, a package of land‑use code amendments intended to bring local regulations into alignment with recent changes in state statutes and to clean up duplicative or contradictory language.

Staff told the council the updates are a mix of statutory compliance and local clarification. Among the changes highlighted were: defining "design review" to mean any administrative land‑use approval process (site plan, subdivision, etc.), reducing the maximum flag‑lot access width from a previously permissive 40 feet to a 30‑foot maximum with a 16‑foot minimum, suggesting a 2,000‑square‑foot cap for detached accessory dwelling units (ADUs) as a clearer alternative to a percentage‑based rule, and clarifying garage setback and parking stall lengths to comply with state limits.

The code package also tightened landscaping standards by defining a tree as a woody perennial at least 15 feet high and 10 feet wide (or a columnar species at least 25 feet high), and it removed or consolidated sections of the neighborhood commercial zone that are redundant elsewhere in the code. Staff said those adjustments will make enforcement and administration more consistent.

Council member motioned to adopt the omnibus amendments; the motion was seconded and approved by roll call.

What happens next: the amendments will be reflected in the city code and staff will prepare guidance materials and a flowchart for public use to explain how parcel boundary adjustments and other processes now conform to state law.

Quote: "Design review refers to any administrative land use approval process," staff summarized during the presentation.