The proposed change to the Ogden zones would soften the rules for houses in non-residential real estate

OGDEN – As Utah property prices hit historic highs and demand surpasses supply, the Ogden government seeks to soften its rules on housing in non-residential areas of the city.

Ogden’s urban planning department is working on a proposal to change the city’s zoning ordinance so that buildings in non-residential areas that were originally built as single-family homes but have since been converted for other purposes can be re-used as single-family homes. Family apartments. In several places in Ogden, buildings that were once houses have been converted into businesses. There is used car parking, insurance agencies, lawyers and dental offices and much more. If this conversion occurs in a non-residential area, the city currently prohibits the building from ever being used as a residential home again.

During a recent Ogden Planning Commission discussion of the proposal, Planning Manager Greg Montgomery said that until 1972, single-family homes were allowed in any area of ​​the city, whether the area was residential, commercial, or industrial. But eventually zone philosophies changed, Montgomery said, and it was decided that there should be segregation as an accumulation of land uses could have a negative impact. Other than those where grandfathers live, single-family homes have not been allowed in the commercial and industrial areas of Ogden since the 1970s.

But that could change soon.

The Planning Department’s proposal would allow the converted buildings, which were once houses, to revert to their original residential use regardless of the zone in which they are located, as long as certain conditions for restoring the residential character of the building are met, e.g. B. Removing commercial building signs and landscaping at least 50% of the front yard.

The potential change is being driven by local demand for housing and the fact that some of the properties in question are now being marketed as residential, even though it would be an illegal use under current city law. Housing prices and demand for residential property across Utah are clearly on an upward trend.

According to estimated 2020 ratings for the Weber County real estate, median home values ​​rose 11% over the past year from 2019. The median is the midpoint of the Weber County house values, with half being worth more and half being worth less. And according to the Utah Association of Realtors, the average price of a house sold in Weber County rose a staggering 28% from January 2020 to January 2021, rising from about $ 281,000 last year to $ 358,000 this year.

The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, in partnership with the Ivory-Boyer Real Estate Center, is tracking building permit activity across the state and publishes a quarterly report on the results.

Last year was a record for construction in Utah, according to the group’s final 2020 report. The total allowable building value for the year reached $ 11 billion, driven by an increase in residential construction. According to the report, the value of housing construction reached $ 6.7 billion in 2020, beating the previous record of 2006. A record for housing permits established in 2005 was also broken in 2020. The permitted residential units reached 31,744 last year, which corresponds to an increase of 15% from 2019. The permitted units for single-family houses rose by 29% from 2019 and reached 15,318 units in 2020.

Planning Commissioner Rick Southwick said the change would be a good idea given the low availability of housing in Ogden and the fact that it can be sold quickly and at increasingly higher prices. During the committee meeting there was a consensus that the measure would be a small step towards improving the housing situation of Ogden.

The final decision on the proposal will be made by the Ogden City Council. Housing, and affordability in particular, was a major issue for several council members, especially Luis Lopez.

“I would love my children to find an apartment in Ogden,” Lopez said during a recent council meeting. “And the way living is now, they probably won’t be able to.”