INTRODUCTION The first evidence of a planning policy or forerunner of a general plan was adopted by the Utah County Planning Commission on May 19, 1942. That policy stated that all residential building in the unincorporated areas of the county be discouraged unless evidence was shown that public utilities and sanitary facilities were adequate, and that no commercial zones be created within subdivisions. A county-wide zoning ordinance was completed and adopted by the Utah County Board of Commissioners in December, 1942. Utah County was one of the few counties in the United States to be completely zoned at that time. The first formal plan for Utah County came with the adoption of “A Master Plan for Utah County, Utah” in 1968. Utah Code Annotated, 1953, Title 17-27-5, enabled the county to produce the “master plan” document. A resolution was also passed and adopted by both the Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners on January 16, 1970, which resolved that lands that lie within city and town boundaries be utilized first for development where the facilities for commercial and residential development are available. This policy is still maintained in the current county planning process. The next update of the master plan came in 1980 with the adoption of the “Utah County Master Plan, 1980.” The policy section of this plan bolstered the resolution of 1970 by defining the “satellite-greenbelt” form of development: “The elements of locational preferences for urban uses such as businesses and dwellings is, first, in already established municipalities where water, sewer, and other necessary services are already available or where they can be provided at the least cost; second, in areas lying adjacent to municipalities where the necessary facilities and services can be extended most conveniently and at the least cost; third, in already established unincorporated communities where central water systems have been installed and where the dwellings are close enough together to make it economically feasible for the services; fourth, in already established unincorporated communities where central water systems have not been installed, but where urban development has taken place to such an extent that the prohibition of further non-urban development would be impractical; fifth, in new towns where roads, water and sewer lines, and other community services can be furnished by developers or by residents themselves without cost to other taxpayers.” During the 1990's, the Planning Commission spent many months in special meetings, committee meetings and public hearings to present an updated General Plan for Utah County. This document was approved by the Utah County Planning Commission and forwarded to the Utah County Commission for their review and adoption. The Goals, Objectives and Policy chapter and Moderate Income Housing chapter of that plan were adopted. The State Land Use and Development Act for counties states that each county shall prepare and adopt a comprehensive, long-range general plan for present and future growth and development needs of the unincorporated portions of the county. The plan may include any number of sections concerning the development of the county, but at a minimum is mandated to include a land use element, a transportation and traffic circulation element and an element for the development of moderate income housing. This general plan is an advisory guide for land use decisions that may be implemented through the Utah County Land Use Ordinance and other adopted county codes and ordinances.
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