HomeMy WebLinkAboutLegislative Version Ordinance - 6/2/20261
Project Title: Zoning Text Amendments - Utility Installation
Exemptions 21A.02.050.B.2
Petition No.: PLNPCM2024-01352
Version: Transmitted
Date Prepared: May 27th, 2026
Recommended by Planning Commission: Yes
This proposed ordinance makes the following amendments (for summary purposes only):
Amends Section 21A.02.050.B.2 to clarify exemptions for certain above-ground public utility
structures.
Amends Section 21A.33.020, Table of Permitted and Conditional Uses in Residential Districts, to
provide clearer and more consistent language regarding exemptions in footnotes.
Amends Section 21A.33.030, Table of Permitted and Conditional Uses for Mixed Use Districts,
to add the utility exemptions footnote to Antenna land uses.
Amends Section 21A.33.040, Table of Permitted and Conditional Uses for Manufacturing
Districts, to add the utility exemptions footnote to Antenna land uses.
Amends Section 21A.33.050, Table of Permitted and Conditional Uses for Downtown, to add the
utility exemptions footnote to Antenna land uses and delete the “C” for homeless shelters and
homeless resource centers.
Amends Section 21A.33.060, Table of Permitted and Conditional Uses for Gateway Districts, to
add the utility exemptions footnote to Antenna land uses.
Amends Section 21A.33.00, Table of Permitted and Conditional Uses for Special Purpose
Districts, to add the utility exemptions footnote to Antenna land uses.
Amends Section 21A.34.020.F.1, Administrative Authority, to grant administrative authority to
the planning director or designee for public utility buildings and structures when requiring a
certificate of appropriateness.
Amends Section 21A.37.020, to exclude public utility buildings and structures from design
review standards found in 21A.37, provided that they meet specific design requirements to Public
Utility Buildings.
Amends Table 21A.40.090: Wireless Telecommunication Facilities, by revising the second
footnote to include a reference to the antenna exemptions in section 21A.02.050.
Amends Section 21A.55.020, to grant administrative authority to the planning director or
designee when a public utility or structure is applying for a planned development and exempt
these uses from minimum area requirements.
Amends Section 21A.62.040, Definitions, to redefine “Utility, Building or Structure” to
encompass a broader range.
Underlined text is new; text with strikethrough is proposed to be deleted. Modifications made as part of
the Planning Commission recommendation are highlighted in yellow. All other text is existing with no
proposed change.
1. Amends Subsection 21A.02.050. B.2 as follows: 1
2
APPROVED AS TO FORM
Salt Lake City Attorney’s Office
Date: ___May 28, 2026____________
By: ____________________________
Katherine D. Pasker, Senior City Attorney
2
2. Utility Installations: Equipment or structures for the provision of essential services to the 3
public as listed below: 4
a. Public utility infrastructure such as wWires, cables, poles, conduits, vaults, laterals, pipes, 5
mains, valves or other similar equipment for the distribution to consumers of telephone or 6
other telecommunications, electricity, gas or water, or the collection of, water, sewer sewage, 7
or stormwater, or transportation. Such infrastructure shall be when owned, operated and/or 8
maintained by a governmental entity or a public utility. Such installations and shall comply 9
with Federal Communications Commission and Federal Aviation Administration rules and 10
regulations and those of other authorities having jurisdiction. 11
b. This exemption includes gGround mounted utility boxes installed by a governmental 12
entity in the public right-of-way for public safety and management purposes, such as traffic 13
control devices, utility boxes for lighting and parking meters. All other ground mounted 14
utility boxes shall not be exempt from the regulations of this title and are subject to section 15
21A.40.160, "Ground Mounted Utility Boxes", of this title. 16
c. Government owned and operated antennas, including communication towers, for public 17
safety purposes, when deemed by the director of the planning department as critical 18
infrastructure necessary to provide specific utility needs to the public, except that: 19
i) If located within the Airport Flight Path Protection Overlay, the antenna shall 20
comply with the provisions in Section 21A.34.040. 21
ii) Antennas are prohibited within the Eco-Industrial Buffer Area of the Northwest 22
Quadrant Overlay District. 23
d. Fences or walls only when necessary to restrict access and promote safety of public utility 24
land uses or structures. 25
e. All other utility land uses, buildings or structures, shall comply with the applicable 26
standards of this title. 27
28
29
2. Amends Section 21A.33.020 only as to amending Qualifying Provision number 5, as follows: 30
31
5. Certain utility installations may be exempt from the regulations of this title. See Subsection 32
21A.02.050.B.See subsection 21A.02.050.B for utility regulations. 33
34
35
3. Amends Section 21A.33.030 only as to the “Antenna, Communication Tower”, “Antenna, 36
Communication Tower exceeding the maximum height in the zoning district” and “Utility, building or 37
structure” uses, as follows: 38
39
Use Permitted And Conditional Uses by District
MU-2 MU-3 MU-5 MU-6 MU-8 MU-11
Antenna, Communication Towe P18 P18 P18 P18
Antenna, Communication Tower
exceeding the maximum height in the
zoning distric
C18 C18 C18 C18
Utility, building or structure P18 P18 P18 P18 P18 P18
40
41
4. Amends Section 21A.33.030 only as to adding a new Qualifying Provisions number 18, as 42
follows: 43
44
3
18. Certain utility installations may be exempt from the regulations of this title. See Subsection 45
21A.02.050.B. 46
47
48
5. Amends Section 21A.33.040 only as to the “Antenna, communication tower”, “Antenna, 49
communication tower exceeding the maximum building height” and “Utility, Building or structure” uses, 50
as follows: 51
52
Use Permitted And Conditional Uses By District
M-1 M-2 M-1A
Antenna, Ccommunication
T owe
P1 P1 P1
Antenna, Ccommunication
Ctower exceeding the
maximum building height in
the zoning district
C1 C1 C1
Utility:
bBuilding or structure P1 P1 P1
53
54
6. Amends Section 21A.33.040 only as to Qualifying Provisions number 1, as follows: 55
56
1. Certain utility installations may be exempt from the regulations of this title. See Subsection 57
21A.02.050.B.See Subsection 21A.02.050.B of this title for utility regulations. 58
59
60
7. Amends Section 21A.33.050 only as to the “Antenna, communication tower”, “Antenna, 61
communication tower exceeding the maximum building height”, “Homeless Resource Center” and 62
“Homeless Shelter” uses, as follows: 63
64
Use
Permitted And Conditional
Use By District
D-1 D-2 D-3 D-4
Antenna, Ccommunication Ttower P1 P1 P1 P1
Antenna, Ccommunication Ttower exceeding
the maximum building height in the zoning
distric
C1 C1 C1 C1
Homeless Resource Cente C15 C15
Homeless Shelte C15 C15
65
66
8. Amends Section 21A.33.050 only as to Qualifying Provisions number 1, as follows: 67
68
1. Certain utility installations may be exempt from the regulations of this title. See Subsection 69
21A.02.050.B.Subject to conformance to the provisions in subsection 21A.02.050B of this title. 70
71
72
9. Amends Section 21A.33.060 only as to the “Antenna, communication tower”, “Antenna, 73
communication tower exceeding the maximum building height” uses, as follows: 74
4
75
Use G-MU
Antenna, Ccommunication T owe P1
Antenna, Ccommunication Ttower exceeding the maximum
uilding heigh in the zoning distric
C1
76
77
10. Amends Section 21A.33.060 only as to Qualifying Provisions number 1, as follows: 78
79
1. Certain utility installations may be exempt from the regulations of this title. See Subsection 80
21A.02.050.B.Subject to conformance to the provisions in subsection 21A.02.050B of this title. 81
82
83
11. Amends Section 21A.33.070 only as to the “Antenna, communication tower”, “Antenna, 84
communication tower exceeding the maximum building height in the zone” uses, as follows: 85
5
86
Use Permitted And Conditional Use By District
RP BP FP AG AG-2 AG-5 OS NOS A PL PL-2 I UI MH EI
Antenna,
communication
Communication
owe owe
P1 P1 C1 P1 P1 P1 P1,21 P1 P1 C1 P1 P1 P1
Antenna,
communication
Communication
tower Tower
exceeding the
maximum
building height
in the
zonezoning
distric
C1 C1 P1,21 P1 P1,11 C1 C1 C1
87
6
88
89
12. Amends Section 21A.33.070 only as to Qualifying Provisions numbers 1 and 21, as follows: 90
91
1. Certain utility installations may be exempt from the regulations of this title. See Subsection 92
21A.02.050.B.Subject to conformance to the provisions in subsection 21A.02.050B of this title. 93
94
21. New antennase and telecommunication towers are allowed outside the telecommunication 95
corridor in the OS Open Space District for public safety, public security or Salt Lake City Public 96
Utilities Department purposes only., if not already exempted under Section 21A.02.050. 97
98
99
13. Amends Subsection 21A.34.020.F.1 as follows: 100
101
1. Administrative Authority: The following may be decided by the planning director or designee: 102
a. Minor alteration of or addition to a landmark site or contributing building or structure; 103
b. Alteration of or addition to a noncontributing building or structure; 104
c. Partial demolition of either a landmark site or a contributing principal building or structure; 105
d. Demolition of an accessory building or structure; and 106
e. Demolition of a noncontributing building or structure; and. 107
f. New construction of a public utility building or structure necessary for the provision of 108
essential services to the public. 109
110
111
14. Amends Section 21A.37.020 only as to subsection D and a new subsection E, as follows: 112
113
D. Utility: Public utility buildings or structures necessary for the provision of essential services to 114
the public shall be exempt from this chapter. The Planning Director or designee shall consider the 115
following design considerations when reviewing a request for new construction of these facilities: 116
1. Exterior building materials shall be similar in durability and design to those of 117
structures in the surrounding area. 118
2. When feasible the structure and associated mechanical equipment shall be screened 119
with landscaping and a solid fence when located adjacent to a residential use. 120
3. When feasible tThe structure and associated mechanical equipment shall be 121
constructed in a portion of the property that is the least visually impactful to any adjacent 122
residential use. 123
4. Existing landscaping that acts as a buffer along property lines shall be retained. 124
5. All exterior lighting shall be shielded and directed down to prevent light trespass onto 125
adjacent properties. Exterior lighting shall not strobe, flash or flicker unless for safety 126
purposes in emergency situations. 127
128
E. Certificate of Appropriateness: All new construction, additions, exterior building work, 129
structure work, and site work on property in an H Historic Preservation Overlay District or a 130
landmark site remains subject to a certificate of appropriateness as required in 131
Subsection 21A.34.020.E of this title. 132
133
134
7
15. Amends Section 21A.33.070 only as to Qualifying Provisions number 2, as follows: 135
136
2. New telecommunications towers are allowed outside the telecommunication corridor in the OS 137
zone for public safety, public security, or Salt Lake Public Utilities Department purposes only, if 138
not already exempted under section 21A.02.050 of this title. 139
140
141
16. Amends Subsection 21A.55.020.A as follows: 142
143
A. Administrative Review: The planning director may approve, approve with modifications, deny, 144
or refer to the planning commission modifications to specific zoning standards outlined in this 145
Section.Subsection 21A.52.060.B.4.b for projects that meet the qualifying provisions in 146
Subsection 21A.52.060.B. The approval shall be in accordance with the standards and procedures 147
set forth in this chapter and other regulations applicable to the district in which the property is 148
located. 149
1. Specific zoning standards outlined in Subsection 21A.52.060.B.4.b for projects that meet 150
the qualifying provisions in Subsection 21A.52.060.B. 151
2. Dimensional standards to accommodate a public utility building or structure necessary 152
for the provision of essential services to the public. Additional building height shall be 153
limited to 5 feet. 154
155
156
17. Adds a new Subsection 21A.55.060.C as follows: 157
158
C. Exemption: Minimum area requirements do not apply when the planned development is for 159
public utility buildings or structures necessary for the provision of essential services to the public. 160
161
18. Amends Section 21A.62.040 only as to the “Utility, Building or Structure” definition, as follows: 162
163
UTILITY, BUILDING OR STRUCTURE: A building or structure owned, operated or maintained 164
by a governmental entity or a public utility and needed to provide distribution, transmittal and 165
maintenancefor the provision of public utility services for water, sewer and flood control including 166
wells, pumping stations, reservoirs, water treatment plant, water storage tanks, detention basins, 167
lift stations, regulators and other similar facilities unless exempted in section 21A.02.050 of this 168
title. Utility, building or structure does not include offices or other uses otherwise defined in the 169
code. 170
171
Effective Date: This ordinance, if passed, shall become effective on the date of its first publication and
shall be recorded with the Salt Lake City Recorder.
172
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