General Planning & Zoning
You can find the zoning on your property on our interactive maps. From the map you can search by address in the upper left corner. You can also zoom into your area of interest. Once you find the property you are interested in click on the property to show the zoning information. When you click on a property, a small window will appear that contains zoning and other property information. To access all of the information on a property click on the next feature arrow at the top of the window.
The allowed uses for agricultural and residential zones are found in Section 7-6-201 of the City’s Zoning Ordinance. The allowed uses for commercial and manufacturing zones are found in Section 7-6-301. Definitions of uses are found in Section 7-1-103.
The number of off-street parking spaces required for different land uses is found in Section 7-9-104 of the City’s Zoning Ordinance.
Regulations governing fence height are found in Section 7-2-114 and Section 7-2-109. View a graphic of the fence regulations.
The design standards for single unit dwellings and two unit dwellings are found in Part 2 of Chapter 7-11 of the City’s Zoning Ordinance. The design standards for commercial buildings are found in Part 3 of Chapter 7-11. The design standards for multi-unit residential dwellings are found in Part 4 of Chapter 7-11.
The number of animals allowed in agricultural zones is outlined in Section 7-6-205.
Residential Structures/Uses
The answer to this question will vary depending upon the zoning of your property and whether you wish to place the detached garage or shed (referred to as accessory buildings in the ordinance) behind or to the side of your home. For minimum setbacks, maximum heights and maximum rear yard building coverage, please refer to Section 7-6-202. Additional requirements and some exceptions are outlined in Section 7-6-203 and Section 7-6-204. Approval from utility companies is required for any accessory building that encroaches on a utility easement.
The answer to this question will vary depending upon the zoning of your property. For minimum setbacks, please refer to Section 7-6-202. An exception to the minimum setbacks is outlined in Section 7-6-204. Approval from utility companies is required for any patio cover that encroaches on a utility easement. View an example of residential zoning requirements.
Assuming your home is zoned for a single unit dwelling, the answer to this question will vary depending upon the location of the property, how the basement will be used, and how it is designed. Single unit dwellings located west of 4000 West are allowed to have a basement apartment or an internal accessory dwelling unit, so long as specific requirements for internal dwelling units are met.
For properties east of 4000 West, a homeowner may rent a portion of the home only if all of the following standards are met:
- There is no more than one lease for any portion of the home.
- All persons residing in the home live together as a single housekeeping unit where all residents maintain free access to all living spaces within the home and all exits to and from the home. In other words, those persons living in the basement must have free access to the upstairs.
- There is no more than one door between a bedroom and any kitchen, living room, dining room or family room that is on the same floor as the bedroom.
Detached accessory dwelling units are allowed on single-unit dwelling residential lots that are at least 11,000 square feet in area. There are other specific requirements for detached accessory dwelling units that must also be met.
Single-unit dwellings west of 4000 West are eligible to include one internal accessory dwelling unit, so long as specific requirements for internal dwelling units are met.
Internal accessory dwelling units or mother-in-law apartments are not allowed on any property zoned for single unit dwellings east of 4000 West, which includes the RB zone, RE zone, all R-1 zones and all A zones.
Properties that are eligible for both an internal and detached accessory dwelling unit may only have one.
The requirements for home occupations or home-based businesses are found in Section 7-7-115 of the City’s Zoning Ordinance.
Regulations governing fence height are found in Section 7-2-114 and Section 7-2-109. View a graphic of fencing standards.
Residential Landscaping & Surfacing
All areas of a yard (front, side and rear) need to be kept weed free and maintained. Side yards that are not adjacent to a street and rear yards have no landscaping requirements. Specific requirements for front yards and side yards adjacent to a street are described below.
Front Yards
Landscaping in front yards must meet the following standards:
- Landscaping means the improvement of property through the addition of living plants that are rooted directly into natural soil or earth and the eradication of weeds and other deleterious material, including the installation of trees, shrubs, lawn, flowers, and vegetative or non-vegetative permeable ground cover.
- Landscaping needs to be installed between the front of house and the sidewalk or the front property line where no sidewalk exists.
- Landscaping must include:
- at least one tree and
- a combination of lawn, shrubs or ground cover.
- At least 25 percent of the entire front yard must be live plant material (excluding tree canopies). Artificial turf that meets these standards can be used in place of live plant material. The remaining areas, if any, can be nonliving ground covers such as rock or bark mulch or artificial turf.
- Landscaping does not include Zeroscape Landscaping or installations where plants are placed in containers, raised beds, or planter boxes on hard surfaces.
Side Yards Adjacent to a Street
On corner lots, landscaping must be installed in all areas between the sidewalk (or side property line where no sidewalk exists) and the side of the house between the front property line and the rear property line which are visible from the street.
More Information
Landscaping Information SheetArtificial Turf Information Sheet
Residential yards are not required to have grass or lawn. A front yard, which is the area between the front of the building and the front lot line, is required to have at least 25% live plant material. See 7-11-205 for residential landscaping requirements. Xeriscaping, which utilizes drought-tolerant and low-water-use plants in combination with other approved landscaping elements, is permitted and encouraged. However, Zeroscaping, or landscaping with no live plant material, is prohibited.
The park strip is the space between the back of the curb (or edge of pavement if there is no curb) and the sidewalk (or the property line if there is no sidewalk). City ordinance requires either landscaping or concrete to be installed in park strips. Landscaping in park strips can include live plant material, non-living ground covers such as rock or bark mulch, or artificial turf, which requires a permit. A permit is also required from the Public Works Department to install concrete in the park strip or to add another drive approach.
- Certain tree varieties are prohibited in park strips.
For single family homes, up to 50 percent of the front yard, the area between the front of the building and the front lot line, can be hard surfaced. See 7-9-114 for surfacing requirements. If you want to add a new drive approach for the driveway, a permit is required from the Public Works Department.
Be aware that within front yards parking is only permitted in front of the garage, in front of the carport or any other portion of the Front Yard that is not directly in front of the house. Vehicles cannot not cover or overlap more than four feet of the fro