17-79-403. General plan preparation.

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A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

Effective 5/6/2026

(a)The planning commission shall provide notice, as provided in Section 17-79-203 , of the planning commission's intent to make a recommendation to the county legislative body for a general plan or a comprehensive general plan amendment when the planning commission initiates the process of preparing the planning commission's recommendation.

(b)The planning commission shall make and recommend to the legislative body a proposed general plan for:

(i)the unincorporated area within the county; or

(ii)if the planning commission is a planning commission for a mountainous planning district, the mountainous planning district.

(i)The plan may include planning for incorporated areas if, in the planning commission's judgment, the plans are related to the planning of the unincorporated territory or of the county as a whole.

(ii)Elements of the county plan that address incorporated areas are not an official plan or part of a municipal plan for any municipality, unless the county plan is recommended by the municipal planning commission and adopted by the governing body of the municipality.

(a)At a minimum, the proposed general plan, with the accompanying maps, charts, and descriptive and explanatory matter, shall include the planning commission's recommendations for the following plan elements:

(i)a land use element that:

(A)designates the long-term goals and the proposed extent, general distribution, and location of land for housing for residents of various income levels, business, industry, agriculture, recreation, education, public buildings and grounds, open space, and other categories of public and private uses of land as appropriate;

(B)includes a statement of the projections for and standards of population density and building intensity recommended for the various land use categories covered by the plan;

(C)is coordinated to integrate the land use element with the water use and preservation element; and

(D)accounts for the effect of land use categories and land uses on water demand;

(ii)a transportation and traffic circulation element that:

(A)provides the general location and extent of existing and proposed freeways, arterial and collector streets, public transit, active transportation facilities, and other modes of transportation that the planning commission considers appropriate;

(B)addresses the county's plan for residential and commercial development around major transit investment corridors to maintain and improve the connections between housing, employment, education, recreation, and commerce; and

(C)correlates with the population projections, the employment projections, and the proposed land use element of the general plan;

(iii)for a specified county as defined in Section 17-80-101 , a moderate income housing element that meets the requirements of Section 17-80-201 ;

(iv)a resource management plan detailing the findings, objectives, and policies required by Section 17-79-402 ; and

(v)a water use and preservation element that addresses:

(A)the effect of permitted development or patterns of development on water demand and water infrastructure;

(B)methods of reducing water demand and per capita consumption for future development;

(C)methods of reducing water demand and per capita consumption for existing development; and

(D)opportunities for the county to modify the county's operations to eliminate practices or conditions that waste water.

(b)In drafting the land use element, the planning commission shall:

(i)identify and consider each agriculture protection area within the unincorporated area of the county or mountainous planning district;

(ii)avoid proposing a use of land within an agriculture protection area that is inconsistent with or detrimental to the use of the land for agriculture; and

(iii)consider and coordinate with any station area plans adopted by municipalities located within the county under Section 63N-23-104 .

(c)In drafting the transportation and traffic circulation element, the planning commission shall:

(A)consider and coordinate with the regional transportation plan developed by the county's region's metropolitan planning organization, if the relevant areas of the county are within the boundaries of a metropolitan planning organization; or

(B)consider and coordinate with the long-range transportation plan developed by the Department of Transportation, if the relevant areas of the county are not within the boundaries of a metropolitan planning organization; and

(ii)consider and coordinate with any station area plans adopted by municipalities located within the county under Section 63N-23-104 .

(d)In drafting the water use and preservation element, the planning commission:

(i)shall consider applicable regional water conservation goals recommended by the Division of Water Resources;

(ii)shall consult with the Division of Water Resources for information and technical resources regarding regional water conservation goals, including how implementation of the land use element and water use and preservation element may affect the Great Salt Lake;

(iii)shall notify the community water systems serving drinking water within the unincorporated portion of the county and request feedback from the community water systems about how implementation of the land use element and water use and preservation element may affect:

(A)water supply planning, including drinking water source and storage capacity consistent with Section 19-4-114 ; and

(B)water distribution planning, including master plans, infrastructure asset management programs and plans, infrastructure replacement plans, and impact fee facilities plans;

(iv)shall consider the potential opportunities and benefits of planning for regionalization of public water systems;

(v)shall consult with the Department of Agriculture and Food for information and technical resources regarding the potential benefits of agriculture conservation easements and potential implementation of agriculture water optimization projects that would support regional water conservation goals;

(vi)shall notify an irrigation or canal company located in the county so that the irrigation or canal company can be involved in the protection and integrity of the irrigation or canal company's delivery systems;

(vii)shall include a recommendation for:

(A)water conservation policies to be determined by the county; and

(B)landscaping options within a public street for current and future development that do not require the use of lawn or turf in a parkstrip;

(viii)shall review the county's land use ordinances and include a recommendation for changes to an ordinance that promotes the inefficient use of water;

(ix)shall consider principles of sustainable landscaping, including the:

(A)reduction or limitation of the use of lawn or turf;

(B)promotion of site-specific landscape design that decreases stormwater runoff or runoff of water used for irrigation;

(C)preservation and use of healthy trees that have a reasonable water requirement or are resistant to dry soil conditions;

(D)elimination or regulation of ponds, pools, and other features that promote unnecessary water evaporation;

(E)reduction of yard waste; and

(F)use of an irrigation system, including drip irrigation, best adapted to provide the optimal amount of water to the plants being irrigated;

(x)may include recommendations for additional water demand reduction strategies, including:

(A)creating a water budget associated with a particular type of development;

(B)adopting new or modified lot size, configuration, and landscaping standards that will reduce water demand for new single family development;

(C)providing one or more water reduction incentives for existing landscapes and irrigation systems and installation of water fixtures or systems that minimize water demand;

(D)discouraging incentives for economic development activities that do not adequately account for water use or do not include strategies for reducing water demand; and

(E)adopting water concurrency standards requiring that adequate water supplies and facilities are or will be in place for new development; and

(xi)shall include a recommendation for low water use landscaping standards for a new:

(A)commercial, industrial, or institutional development;

(B)common interest community, as defined in Section 57-25-102 ; or

(C)multifamily housing project.

(3)The proposed general plan may include:

(a)an environmental element that addresses:

(i)to the extent not covered by the county's resource management plan, the protection, conservation, development, and use of natural resources, including the quality of:

(A)air;

(B)forests;

(C)soils;

(D)rivers;

(E)groundwater and other waters;

(F)harbors;

(G)fisheries;

(H)wildlife;

(I)minerals; and

(J)other natural resources; and

(A)the reclamation of land, flood control, prevention and control of the pollution of streams and other waters;

(B)the regulation of the use of land on hillsides, stream channels and other environmentally sensitive areas;

(C)the prevention, control, and correction of the erosion of soils;

(D)the preservation and enhancement of watersheds and wetlands; and

(E)the mapping of known geologic hazards;

(b)a public services and facilities element showing general plans for sewage, water, waste disposal, drainage, public utilities, rights-of-way, easements, and facilities for them, police and fire protection, and other public services;

(c)a rehabilitation, redevelopment, and conservation element consisting of plans and programs for:

(i)historic preservation;

(ii)the diminution or elimination of a development impediment as defined in Section 17C-1-102 ; and

(iii)redevelopment of land, including housing sites, business and industrial sites, and public building sites;

(d)an economic element composed of appropriate studies and forecasts, as well as an economic development plan, which may include review of existing and projected county revenue and expenditures, revenue sources, identification of basic and secondary industry, primary and secondary market areas, employment, and retail sales activity;

(e)recommendations for implementing all or any portion of the general plan, including the adoption of land and water use ordinances, capital improvement plans, community development and promotion, and any other appropriate action;

(f)provisions addressing any of the matters listed in Subsection 17-79-401(2) or 17-79-402(1) ; and

(g)any other element the county considers appropriate.

Amended by Chapter 94 , 2026 General Session