Willard planning commission tables revision of off-street parking rules after technical questions

The Willard City Planning Commission on Sept. 3 discussed proposed amendments to zoning code 24.16 that would change off-street parking dimensions, intersection setbacks and lot landscaping requirements, but members voted to table the measure for further work.

The item drew extensive line-by-line questions from commissioners and staff. Planning staff presented proposed dimensional changes — including a 24-foot width for two-way circulation, standard stall sizes discussed as 9 by 20 feet and 9 by 22 feet for parallel spaces, and a 50-foot setback from intersections for the drive closest to a corner — and said the draft leaves some uses (notably bars and other high-turnover establishments) to conditional-use review rather than fixed patron counts. A planning staff member said, “The only other major thing I added was the accessible parking. We’re not required to, but I thought maybe we should.”

Commissioners debated whether the 50-foot corner setback should vary by road type (principal arterial vs. collector) or be reduced to 30 feet in some situations, and they discussed limits on the number and spacing of driveway approaches for corner commercial lots. One commissioner summarized the practical test facing the commission: ensure safety for high-volume highway-facing commercial lots while avoiding unnecessarily strict standards for smaller or residential-adjacent parcels. On landscaping and maintenance requirements, commissioners asked staff to reference existing commercial parking-lot standards (Box Elder County was cited as an example), and to return with clearer language about minimum planting area or case-by-case approval by the planning commission.

After discussion, a commissioner moved to table further review of the 24.16 amendments so staff could refine the draft and consult engineering and relevant standards. The Chair called the motion and the commission approved it by voice vote. The commission asked staff to return a revised draft that differentiates standards by road type, clarifies approach-spacing rules across versus within parcels, and defines acceptable screening and stormwater-handling approaches.