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Record of Proceedings

Lehi Planning Commission Work Session on SHAR Ordinance and Future Training - August 7, 2025

Meeting Portal — Thursday, August 7, 2025
BodyLehi, Utah
SessionMeeting Portal
DateThursday, August 7, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:09:58

Transcript — Verbatim
0:28

I mean the candy's in the right place.

0:30

I respect that.

0:32

Well, all right.

0:33

I assume we're ready to go.

0:36

Well, welcome to the Lehigh Planning Commission.

0:40

August 7th, 2025.

0:42

We are call to order and uh let's move on to item two, yeah.

0:57

This better be good.

1:02

High expectations.

1:04

Because it's been years in the main.

1:08

Well, you guys always have food storage over there.

1:21

That's important.

1:24

This has been, yes, a long time in the making.

1:26

But um starter home attainable residential SHAR is the new improved Aha's or Chaws or whatever you want to remember it as.

1:36

Um so some of the big changes, you'll remember um Chaws had it was like could be proposed anywhere, and it could be any size home just on smaller lots, and that had to be uh 20% or less than surrounding properties and deed restricted for five years.

1:53

Um you'd increase your the amount of um equity that you could capture each year.

2:02

So what the SHAR has turned into is it can be any lot in the R3, R2, R1 Flex, R1A, R11, R112, and R115.

2:12

Um that's actually a more recent addition.

2:15

Um that essentially just excludes big lots.

2:18

And yeah, agriculture.

2:20

Yeah, yeah.

2:21

Yep, everything half acre or bigger, maybe restricted.

2:25

Yeah.

2:26

Um and then it does require that the lots are under 6,000 square feet and homes are under 1,200 square feet.

2:32

Okay, if forgive me.

2:34

6,000 square feet is how much of an acre.

2:37

It is like uh point one.

2:41

Yeah.

2:46

Less than fourth.

2:48

Yes.

2:50

Um, and be deed restricted for owner occupancy long term.

2:55

So is sorry.

2:59

Up and does that totally more.

3:02

Okay.

3:04

It's just a highlight.

3:05

So we'll go into it.

3:07

Good question.

3:09

But um so what how this evolved after it left you is the mayor was like, I think we really need to look at more of these, yeah, like small homes on small lots.

3:20

So let me start looking at that.

3:21

Worked with engineering and council, did a couple work sessions, a couple of redrafts, and then kind of ended up here.

3:28

So this is a good place because it's where we're all kind of finally feeling for the most part pretty comfortable, you know.

3:33

Engineering's comfortable with it.

3:35

Um council seems more comfortable.

3:38

So every single four people on that council is represented.

3:42

No.

3:43

I think more of them like it.

3:46

I had the thought.

3:49

Which four though?

3:51

Mystery.

3:53

Carry on.

3:54

Um yeah, this is just gonna go straight into the language.

3:58

We can talk more about the uh aspects of it.

4:00

So purpose and definition, not too much different than what you're saying before.

4:04

You know, it is supposed to be four cell housing on smaller homes on small lots.

4:10

Um and this is another newer addition.

4:14

It really is an alternative to accessory dwelling units, which is where engineering is coming from.

4:22

Is you know, now we've had to add ADUs to pretty much every lot.

4:27

Um so we can pull out an ADU and create a small home that's focused on the home ownership instead of just a rental, and it'll have the same impact on utilities.

4:38

Um we lost all control over ADUs, right?

4:42

The state.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Zoning Regulations██████████████████████████26%
Affordable Housing████████████████████████24%
Deed Restrictions█████████████████17%
Government Structure█████████████13%
Procedural███████████11%
Planning and Zoning█████5%
Budget Equity Analysis██2%
Engineering And Infrastructure██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Lehi Planning Commission Work Session on SHAR Ordinance and Future Training - August 7, 2025

The Lehi Planning Commission held a work session on August 7, 2025, at 5:30 PM in the City Council Chambers. The primary agenda item was a presentation of the updated Starter Home Attainable Residential (SHAR) ordinance, followed by discussion of future training opportunities. Commissioners reviewed the ordinance details, debated deed restrictions, and discussed next steps.

Presentation of Updated SHAR Ordinance

  • Staff presented the SHAR ordinance as a voluntary, discretionary tool for developers to create smaller, more affordable homes on small lots.
  • Key features: lots under 6,000 sq ft, homes under 1,200 sq ft (without basement) or 1,000 sq ft finished floor area (if unfinished basement), deed restricted for owner occupancy in perpetuity, maximum sales price target of $400,000 (with flexibility for city council to approve alternative with justification), 50% density bonus over base zoning.
  • Applicable zones: R3, R2, R1 Flex, R1A, R11, R112, R115 (excluding lots over half acre).
  • Process: concept plan, DRC review, city council direction, development agreement, planning commission public hearing, city council approval.
  • Commissioners asked clarifying questions about lot size, basement size, price adjustments, and the legal nature of the ordinance (legislative vs. administrative). Staff confirmed it is legislative and fully discretionary, with no vested rights.
  • Commissioner Greg expressed strong opposition to permanent deed restrictions, arguing they limit property rights and create a "nanny state." He preferred a time-limited or sale-triggered restriction. Other commissioners, like Dyson, supported deed restrictions to ensure affordability and encourage turnover.
  • Discussion also touched on the potential for large unfinished basements, the need for legal counsel at future work sessions, and the impact on the general plan and neighborhood character.

Discussion of Future Training

  • Commissioners discussed scheduling a training on deed restrictions, possibly with legal counsel, to better inform the SHAR discussion.
  • Staff announced that a professor from the University of Utah (Donia) will conduct training on conflict resolution and public meeting management in September and October work sessions.
  • A joint work session with city council on the downtown revitalization plan is scheduled for September 2, 2025, with a training on September 4, making a busy week.
  • Commissioners also expressed interest in attending DRC (Development Review Committee) meetings to understand the process.

Key Outcomes

  • No formal votes were taken as this was a work session.
  • The SHAR ordinance will be scheduled for a public hearing at the August 28, 2025, planning commission meeting, unless a further work session on deed restrictions is requested.
  • Commissioners agreed to receive training on deed restrictions before the public hearing.
  • The September and October work sessions will be dedicated to the conflict resolution training and the joint work session.
  • Meeting adjourned by motion and second.

Meeting Transcript

I mean the candy's in the right place. I respect that. Well, all right. I assume we're ready to go. Well, welcome to the Lehigh Planning Commission. August 7th, 2025. We are call to order and uh let's move on to item two, yeah. This better be good. High expectations. Because it's been years in the main. Well, you guys always have food storage over there. That's important. This has been, yes, a long time in the making. But um starter home attainable residential SHAR is the new improved Aha's or Chaws or whatever you want to remember it as. Um so some of the big changes, you'll remember um Chaws had it was like could be proposed anywhere, and it could be any size home just on smaller lots, and that had to be uh 20% or less than surrounding properties and deed restricted for five years. Um you'd increase your the amount of um equity that you could capture each year. So what the SHAR has turned into is it can be any lot in the R3, R2, R1 Flex, R1A, R11, R112, and R115. Um that's actually a more recent addition. Um that essentially just excludes big lots. And yeah, agriculture. Yeah, yeah. Yep, everything half acre or bigger, maybe restricted. Yeah. Um and then it does require that the lots are under 6,000 square feet and homes are under 1,200 square feet. Okay, if forgive me. 6,000 square feet is how much of an acre. It is like uh point one. Yeah. Less than fourth. Yes. Um, and be deed restricted for owner occupancy long term. So is sorry. Up and does that totally more. Okay. It's just a highlight. So we'll go into it. Good question. But um so what how this evolved after it left you is the mayor was like, I think we really need to look at more of these, yeah, like small homes on small lots. So let me start looking at that. Worked with engineering and council, did a couple work sessions, a couple of redrafts, and then kind of ended up here. So this is a good place because it's where we're all kind of finally feeling for the most part pretty comfortable, you know. Engineering's comfortable with it. Um council seems more comfortable. So every single four people on that council is represented. No. I think more of them like it. I had the thought. Which four though? Mystery. Carry on.

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