Planning Commission recommends parking changes for accessory apartments

The Pleasant Grove City Planning Commission voted on Sept. 10 to recommend that the City Council adopt a code text amendment to city code section 10-15-47 governing accessory apartments, aligning local parking requirements with limits set by state legislation. Jacob Hawkins of the planning department presented the proposal and said, "This is the proposed text. It says exactly what is required by state and nothing else." The commission voted in favor of forwarding the amendment to council.

Hawkins told commissioners that current local practice required four off-street parking spaces for a main dwelling plus two additional spaces for an accessory apartment (a total of six). Under the state rules he described, internal accessory dwelling units cannot trigger more than one additional on-site parking space in many cases and municipalities that already require four spaces for a primary dwelling may not require an extra space for an internal ADU. For detached ADUs, Hawkins said the state allows up to two off-street parking spaces for units roughly 600 square feet or larger and limits smaller detached units to one space. He also noted the staff report included a corrected state-code reference on page 8.

Commissioner Butler pressed staff on enforceability and surface standards. Hawkins said that minimum widths for parking areas and driveways must be paved with concrete or asphalt to prevent parking on grass, but that gravel or crushed-rock surfacing can be permitted in specific circumstances if approved by the city engineer. "So basically, we don't want people parking on the grass," Hawkins said. The public hearing was opened and no members of the public spoke.

The Planning Commission's recommendation adopts the staff report's exhibits, findings and conditions and sends the ordinance language to the City Council for its consideration. The council will receive the commission's recommendation and take any subsequent action on the proposed code amendment.