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.

The Goal :

It is the desire of Utah County citizens, the Utah County Legislative Body, and the Utah County Planning Commission to have a pleasant and progressive county in which people can live and work, without sacrificing the traditional rural atmosphere inherent in the unincorporated areas of the county while protecting the quality of life in the incorporated municipalities and respecting the rights of private property owners. The following are objectives and policies to promote this goal:

Objective 1 : Maintain the benefits of the historic satellite-greenbelt form of land use development

Policies

• A. Outside the urban corridor, the zoning plan should continue to support the satellite-green belt land use development pattern.
• B. Within the urban corridor, the zoning regulations should be designed to produce development which is compatible with the pattern found (or projected) within the municipalities.
• C. Non-farm residences on parcels of less than five acres and commercial and industrial development should not be approved within agricultural zones consisting of prime agricultural and irrigated cropland areas.
• D. Intense development should not be approved where full emergency services are absent or are too far distant to be effective.

Objective 2 : Encourage residential development in locations that are most feasible for the provision of supporting public facilities

Policies

• A. Planning for the residential growth of the county, the priority of location choice is: first, within existing municipalities; second, along the outskirts of municipalities where the land can be annexed; third, in newly developed communities anticipating incorporation; and fourth, in unincorporated communities that have a water system approved for culinary use and fire suppression.
• B. The design of roads and public facilities in subdivisions and other large scale developments should be done in a fashion which will compliment future annexation by a municipality or the development pattern of the surrounding properties.

Objective 3 : Encourage a pleasant, wholesome neighborhood atmosphere in residential areas

Policies

• A. Develop residential areas in a manner that will not result in conflicts with surrounding land uses.
• B. Developments should provide for adequate off-street parking which is conducive to a safe neighborhood atmosphere.
• C. Utilities should be located underground in residential developments.

Objective 4 : Encourage a fair share of affordable housing

Policies

• A. The amount of affordable housing provided for in each jurisdiction should be proportionate to the population of lower income households in the entire County area, to the population of each jurisdiction.
• B. Affordable housing should be provided in locations where public facilities and private services are in reasonable proximity.

Objective 5 : Maintain prime agricultural land in active production, and retain the traditional rural nature of the unincorporated county

Policies

• A. Agriculture is a significant economic utilization of land in unincorporated Utah County and should merit a strong emphasis in land use policies and regulations.
• B. Prime agricultural land should be kept in agricultural production or available for agricultural production.
• C. Areas served by irrigation systems should be safeguarded from non-farm development and the irrigation infrastructure protected.

Objective 6 : Support a variety of methods to preserve agricultural land

Policies

• A. Zones should be created which have the sole purpose of protecting and fostering production agriculture.
• B. Continue to provide the option for the landowner to apply for an Agriculture Protection Area.
• C. The Farmland Assessment Act should be maintained as one method of preserving farm land in Utah County.
• D. Private foundations and trusts for agricultural land conservation and open space preservation should be encouraged, including protection of farming in agricultural areas and protection of open space in nonagricultural areas.

Objective 7 : Commercial land use in unincorporated Utah County should only be encouraged to meet the minimum needs of the local community

Policies

• A. Additional unincorporated land should not be rezoned for commercial use unless a significant community need is proven and adequate land area is not available in previously established commercial zones.
• B. The county should not approve commercial zones or developments in outlying areas which are beyond the reasonable response distance of full emergency services.
• C. Commercial uses in the unincorporated area which require monitoring beyond the staffing limitations of the county organizations governing such uses should be discouraged.
• D. Neighborhood commercial developments should be limited to those uses beneficial to the local residents.

Objective 8 : Develop industrial land uses in unincorporated areas where essential services are available and encourage necessary industrial areas only where the use will not create problems which outweigh the economic and other public benefits brought into the community by industrial growth

Policies

• A. Care should be taken to make sure that no new industrial zone or industrial establishment will be harmful to adjacent properties or to the county.
• B. Both new mines and new gravel pits and the expansion of "grandfather" mines and gravel pits should be subject to bonding procedures which will ensure that the mines and pits are used in a way that will protect neighboring property values and will ensure that the land is rehabilitated for future use.

Objective 9 : Establish recreational areas for the general public which encourage a sense of community and are pleasant and relaxing

Policies

• A. Only parks and recreational facilities that are county-wide or regional in scope should be operated by the County.
• B. Utah County government should be part of a multi-jurisdictional cooperative effort to develop and maintain a county-wide recreational trail system which should interconnect major recreation areas and popular trail routes whenever possible.
• C. Canyon floor areas should be designated for recreation use, limiting housing and commercial developments, which will permit full recreational use of the canyon locale and not detract from the natural beauty. Recreation areas should be done in a manner which will protect water quality, riparian areas and critical wildlife habitat.
• D. Additional mountain recreation areas should be developed due to the increased public demand for camping, picnicking, and scenic travel ways.
• E. The open space associated with the shoreline of Utah Lake should be protected and enhanced in order to make the most of the lake’s recreational and scenic potential.
• F. Discourage use of off-road vehicles and recreational shooting in areas inappropriate for such uses, and accommodate development of off-road vehicle and shooting areas.

Objective 10 : Preserve, protect, and make access available to historical sites

Policies

• A. Priority should be given to the preservation of historic buildings, roadways, railroad sites, and other historic landmarks.
• B. Utah County should establish a county registry or utilize any existing county registry for those important historic sites which are not included on the National Historic Register.
• C. A citizens committee should be maintained to evaluate and recommend preservation sites for the register, increase public awareness and appreciation, as well as procure donations and grants for preservation, maintenance, and restoration.
• D. The grounds around historic buildings and sites should be tied to an extended park site or connected to the county trails system wherever possible.

Objective 11 : Assure that essential governmental facilities and services are provided

Policies

• A. Each municipality and the county should have a general plan for its respective jurisdiction, and the governmental entities should cooperate to make the physical development consistent across jurisdictional boundaries.
• B. The existing interagency fire protection agreements should be periodically reviewed and updated to compensate for changes occurring in the unincorporated area.
• C. The Utah County Health Department provides public health protection countywide and all entities should be contributing to fund this health service.
• D. Public facilities which support residential development, should be provided in the cities, not the unincorporated area, in accordance with the policy that development should occur in the cities where services are most efficiently provided.
• E. If a development is proposed to be located where a jurisdictional sewer or water system does not exist, the developer should pay for the cost of all necessary tests and studies to assure state-approved sewer, culinary water, fire suppression, and irrigation water systems will work.
• F. To encourage annexation, water, sewer, and other services should not be provided by municipal governments to property owners in the unincorporated area.
• G. Streets, parks, and other public ways, grounds, places, spaces, and public or privately owned utilities and utility corridors, above ground or buried, should be allowed in all areas of the county to provide the needed public uses for growth and development.

Objective 12 : Enhance the transportation of people and goods within Utah county with maximum safety, convenience, and economic benefit

Policies

• A. All county roads should be classified according to their functional use and in conjunction with their connection to municipal street classifications.
• B. A capital improvements program should be developed to upgrade roads to meet the design standards for each classification in order to facilitate more efficient and economical transportation.
• C. All new roads added to the official county road map of Utah County should meet the design standards for its classification at the time it is added.
• D. Standards for county road design should be followed as maintained by the Utah County Engineer.
• E. Irrigation and open drainage ditches, utility poles and fences, adjoining and parallel to county roads, should be relocated to a location out of the designated clear zone and should also be relocated off the entire right-of-way whenever possible.
• F. Utah County should encourage commuter and other traffic to utilize existing and any future mass transit systems.
• G. Corridors should be identified and acquired for future freeways and expressways.

Objective 13 : Preserve and protect natural resources and open space

Policies

• A. All development in the unincorporated area should be designed to conserve as resources, clean air, pure water, riparian areas, wet lands and open space.
• B. All disturbance of land due to construction should maintain a protective barrier from natural streams, flood channels, rivers, or bodies of water.
• C. To protect areas of sensitive terrain, foliage, water features and wildlife habitat, the county should enforce ordinances prohibiting off-trail travel.
• D. The county should encourage recycling of waste materials.

Objective 14 : Adopt policies for careful use of water resources

Policies

• A. Protect mountain watersheds that produce the water that forms the basis of growth and development in the county's arid setting.
• B. Known water infiltration and recharge areas should be protected from paving and other activities which would inhibit infiltration or cause pollution of the groundwater resource.
• C. The irrigation systems of Utah County should utilize pressurized piping systems to more efficiently use water.
• D. Minimum stream flows should be maintained for fishing, boating, and other recreational uses.

Objective 15 : Maintain a tax system which works in tandem with county development policies

Policies

• A. County government should not be engaged in the delivery of urban services; existing or new municipal governments should provide long-term comprehensive funding of urban services in places where development occurs.
• B. Where feasible, the county should follow a system in which taxation district boundaries are drawn to coincide with zoning district boundaries.
• C. The tax rates of the taxation districts should be set to reflect the differences in cost of delivering governmental services to areas where zone districts allow expanded development versus those where zoning minimizes development.

CHAPTER 2: MODERATE INCOME HOUSING ELEMENT

Utah Code Annotated, 1953, as amended, requires each county of the State of Utah to adopt a plan for moderate income housing. After adoption of the plan, the county legislative body with a population of over 25,000 is required to prepare a biennial review and report of its findings.

Moderate Income Housing Element and its implementation

The key policy of the county’s general plan is for all types of housing to be directed into the incorporated municipalities that can provide adequate governmental infrastructure, public health, emergency services and private community services. This policy is based on the premise that a valid evaluation of housing quality is not solely a look at the structure itself, but also includes a look at the adequacy of supportive services available to householders. This key policy is still in effect.

Notwithstanding the above policy, the unincorporated area has its certain economic pursuits, such as agriculture, transportation, and mining; each requiring housing to serve those involved. It continues to be a policy of the county to have a fair share of its housing to be considered affordable housing.

Proposed programs

Farm Labor Housing: The pre-eminence of agriculture as a land use in the unincorporated area of Utah County is acknowledged. It identifies a need for unincorporated county farm labor housing. This need is for both those farm laborers hired to work year round and those who are hired on a seasonal basis during periods of harvest. The Utah County Land Use Ordinance allows for such housing, requiring the farm owner to be the provider.

On Site Housing for Caretakers of Agriculture and Commercial/Industrial Business Sites: Many of the businesses and industrial establishments in the unincorporated area are relatively remote from police, fire and other essential emergency services. The Moderate Income Housing element proposes that housing for caretaker personnel continue to be made available through the land use ordinance.

Efforts made by Utah County to reduce, mitigate, or eliminate local regulatory barriers to Moderate Income Housing

The two zones best suited to accommodate moderate income housing, the RR-5 and TR-5 zones, contain enough land for 18,352 dwelling units at a rate of four units per acre (although a density of six to eight units per acre can be allowed for planned unit developments or mobile home courts). The 2000 Census states that the unincorporated portion of Utah County has 3.59 persons per household, down from 3.86 in 1990. That number is projected to remain nearly constant over the next five years. That would mean that these areas could sustain a population of 65,884 people at 3.59 persons per household. The population for unincorporated Utah County was 11,164 for the year 2000 and is projected to be 9,443 by the year 2010. If all 11,164 persons lived in the RR-5 and TR-5 zones, only 11% of the capacity of these two residential zone districts would be utilized.

The amount of land zoned for housing is not found to be the critical factor which limits moderate income housing. The lack of public facilities and other services needed for development, and the cost of installing or providing such facilities and services, are the more critical factors.

Actions taken by Utah County to encourage the preservation of existing Moderate Income Housing and the development of new Moderate Income Housing

Preservation: Typical housing economies are such that those with higher incomes are the ones who construct new homes; those with modest incomes “move up” to the units vacated by those who have built the new homes; and those with still lower incomes move up to the homes vacated by the second-tier income individuals. New units are seldom available to lower-income households without the availability of government subsidies.

Toward Lower Cost Development: Utah County continues with the following programs which tend to encourage the development of new moderate income housing units:

1. Sponsorship of the Utah County Housing Authority.
2. Policy of having a low property tax rate (which lowers monthly escrow fees for home loans).
3. Policy of having no impact fees.
4. Prohibits by accounting procedures the placement of any portion of the building permit fees into the general funds, cutting the permit fees to a level that meets just the costs of providing the permit and building inspections.
5. Publishes a building permit checklist to speed up the plan approval process.
6. Maintains the zoning and subdivision provisions on-line so developers can eliminate frequent trips to the office for regulatory information thus speeding up the approval process.
7. Policy of single approval, rather than the preliminary and final approval for subdivisions, thus speeding up the approval process.
8. Program of holding pre-application conferences between the developer, the Community Development Department, and other agencies involved in the subdivision plat approval process to eliminate potential delaying conflicts.
9. Provision to not require curb, gutter and sidewalks, and use drainage swales in many situations.
10. Provision for planned unit developments which allow clusters with greater densities than conventional subdivisions and lower land costs per unit.
11. Maintains the county’s participation in the national flood insurance program to reduce flood insurance costs to the homeowner.
12. Allow manufactured homes as an alternative to site-built homes.

Projects: The Utah County Housing Authority has a number of on-going projects and programs to meet the housing needs of low and moderate income people. The areas served include both the incorporated and unincorporated portions of Utah County and involve a Utah County share of federal funding, as well as a municipal share. The projects and programs include:

1. The Rental Assistance Program provides rental subsidies to low-income families and elderly people who live in privately-owned housing units throughout Utah County. The family pays no more than 30% of their income to the landlord, and the Utah County Housing Authority pays the balance.
2. Family Self Sufficiency Program where financial training and counseling is provided, along with an escrow of the subsidized portion of rent monies. Although in the past the money held in escrow could be used to match Olene Walker Trust Fund money to purchase a residence, the State of Utah no longer permits this.
3. The Loan-to-Own Program for the unincorporated area and the municipalities other than Provo and Orem. Home buyers can obtain a government grant of up to $7,000 for money to apply as a down payment on a home mortgage. There is a limit on the purchase price of the home relative to which homes can qualify for this program.
4. Public Housing Program provides rental housing to handicapped, disabled and low- income families.
5. The Willow Cove Project provides housing for abused women and children.
6. Home Improvement Loans provide low interest loans for qualifying households owning homes that need repair.
7. The Weatherization Assistance Program provides funding to insulate, caulk, repair windows, install weather strips, repair or replace furnaces, and take other steps to reduce heating costs to lower income households.
8. The Utah County Housing Authority administers HUD Section 8 rental assistance to individuals and families at or below 50% of the area median income.
9. The Carillon Court project of the Utah County Housing Authority provides 16 elderly housing units in Orem.
10. The Yarrow Apartments project provides housing and rental assistance to clients of Wasatch Mental Health.
11. Sunflower project of the Utah County Housing Authority provides housing to three low-income severely-handicapped persons in Orem.
12. The Rural Housing Development Corp. (RHDC) has constructed 100 homes in Utah County since 1999 for households earning less than 80% of the median area income. This agency has ten homes under construction at one time, with the qualifying families required to contribute a minimum of 65% of the construction hours. Upon completion of the dwelling, the family has approximately $25,000.00 of equity with an affordable mortgage.
13. The Utah County Housing Authority has a single family dwelling in Lindon named Hollow Park. It provides housing for physically disabled persons.
14. The Utah County Housing Authority completed construction of 13 units of farm- labor rental housing in Spring Lake. This facility is designed for families who derive more than 50% of their annual income by working in agriculture. Annual incomes must be below 80% of area median income for eligibility to live there.
15. Carillon Court is 16 units of housing for the elderly, in Orem.
16. Emergency Housing Rehabilitation Fund provides for the correction of building code violations and emergency home repairs.

Progress made within the County to provide Moderate Income Housing, as measured by permits issued for new units of Moderate Income Housing

The need for moderate income housing in the unincorporated area of Utah County in the initial Plan for Moderate Income Housing (as adopted February 16, 1999) was calculated from the 2000 Census and the Mountainland Association of Governments Population Projections. The calculations are as follows:

Year	Population
2000	11,164
2005	10,438
2010	9,443
2020	7,553

The median area income for Utah Valley is $56,150 for 2005, according to HUD. Moderate income households consist of those households who earn 80% or less than the mean area income. This means that any household earning $44,920 or less in 2005 would classify in the moderate income category. The figures below show the number of permits that were issued for dwellings and the number of dwellings that were below the moderate income level, including the price of the lot, according to Utah County Community Development records.

Year	Building Permits Issued	Housing < $149,335
	(Single Family & Manufactured)
2002	49	11	22%
2003	41	15	36%
2004	64	12	19%
Year	Permits Issued SFD & MH	Housing < $149,700
2005	55	4	7%

Unincorporated Utah County has maintained a high percentage of moderate income housing for new single-family structures, due mainly to the zoning that allows manufactured homes as an alternative to a site-built structure in any location where a zoning compliance permit for a single family dwelling can be approved.

Efforts made by the County to coordinate the Moderate Income Housing Element with neighboring counties

Utah County’s only ongoing project with neighboring counties relative to moderate income housing is the 13 units of farm-labor housing in Spring Lake, Utah, listed above.

1Fannie Mae, HUD Median Family Income 2003 http://www.fanniemae.com/tools/hudmedian/hud_income_results.jhtml

Local county roads, state roads and federal highways adequately serve the rural unincorporated area of Utah County, but the transition through the urban municipalities and along the narrow North-South Wasatch Front corridor impedes the efficient traffic flow into the unincorporated areas and to destinations outside of Utah County. With the Wasatch Mountains to the East and Utah Lake on the West, planning for efficient North-South and East-West routes is made difficult.

Funding and construction of adequate transportation facilities has not kept pace with the population growth in Utah County. The State Department of Transportation, Mountainland Association of Governments and the Utah County Engineer can only accomplish annual maintenance and new road construction as funding allows. Utah State Code does not currently allow traffic corridors, as identified in a jurisdiction’s general plan, to be held as open land for future transportation development without purchase of the proposed corridor.

Major streets - The map in this chapter shows streets designated as Arterials, Collectors, U.S. Highways, State Routes, Interstate Highway, Proposed State Road Transfers and Proposed Mobility Routes. All other local county roads are identified on the Official County Road Map for Utah County. Many existing county roads designated as an arterial road or as a collector road do not have as wide a right-of-way or paved surface as is needed to function under these designations. Additional right-of-way should be obtained to acquire the land needed to widen and upgrade the paved surface, shoulders and clear areas of these major roads.

Unincorporated Utah County Major Street Standards and Identification

Arterial Roads

Standards

• Right-of-way width is eighty (80) feet, pavement width is thirty-two (32) feet and the clear zone is sixteen (16) feet (see arterial standard drawing)
• Through road
• Significant connecting road
• Required turning lanes at intersections
• Primary function is to move traffic
• High speed (speed limits of 40 mph or greater)
• High volume (traffic counts at or above 4,000 vehicles per day)
• Access control (access to the arterial road is fully or partially controlled by Utah County)
• Restricted public parking within the road right-of-way
• Restricted pedestrian and bicycle activity within the road right-of-way

Identification

• Lehi-Fairfield Road/7600 North (Ranches Parkway to SR 68)
• Woodland Hills Drive (11,200 South to SR 164) Utah County maintains this entire road length
• 6800 North/Sam White Lane (6800 West to Pleasant Grove Blvd)
• 9550 West/Saratoga Road (SR 68 to SR 73)
• Mount Timpanogos Blvd/Training School Road (US 89 to SR 92)
• 6800 West (US 89 to 9600 North)
• 8170 North/Lehi 700 South (9550 West/Saratoga Road to I-15)
• 7900 North/Pleasant Grove 1100 North (US 89 to SR 146)
• 6400 North (600 West to I-15)
• US Highway 189/Provo Canyon Road
• State Route 73 (County line to I-15)
• State Route 68/Redwood Road (County line to US Hwy 6)
• US Highway 6 (County line to I-15, west side & 1-15 to County line, East side)
• US Highway 89 (Springville City to County line)

Collector Roads

Standards

• Right-of-way width is sixty-six (66) feet, pavement width is thirty (30) feet and clear zone is ten (10) feet (see collector road standard drawing)
• Through road
• Connecting road
• Turning lanes at intersections may be required
• Main function is to move traffic, secondary function is to access abutting land and developments
• High speed (speed limit of 40 mph)
• High volume (traffic counts at or above 2,000 vehicles per day)
• Access control (access to the collector road may be fully or partially controlled by Utah County)
• Limited public parking within the road right-of-way
• Limited pedestrian and bicycle activity within the road right-of-way

Identification

• Elk Ridge Drive (11,200 South to SR 198) Utah County maintains the entire road length
• 11,200 South Street (Elk Ridge Drive to Woodland Hills Drive) Utah County maintains the entire road length
• 8000 South (3200 West/SR 115 to I-15)
• 8800 South/Power House Road (SR 198 to US 6)
• 9600 South (5600 West/SR 147 to 3200 West/SR 115)
• 12,000 South/11,950 South/4600 West (SR 141 to SR 178 at I-15)
• 10,400 South/Utah Avenue (SR 147/SR 141 to SR 198)
• 2400 East (US 6 to US 89)
• 6800 South (US 6 to US 89)
• Grove Drive (Alpine City to Forest Service parking lot)
• 7350 North (8000 West to 9550 West)
• Highland Blvd. (SR 92 to Salt Lake County boundary)
• 8800 West/Lehi 1200 West (I-15 to SR 92)
• 10,400 North/10,400 West/9600 North (SR 68 to US 89)
• Goshen Canyon Road (US 6 to Juab County boundary)
• 8000 West/Lehi Center Street (7350 North to 8170 North)
• Mill Pond Road/7750 North/Frontage Road/6000 West (8170 North to 6400 North)
• 9600 North (6800 West to SR 74)
• State Route 92 (US 189 to I-15)
• All State Routes indicated on the map as “Proposed State Road Transfers”

Local County/Development Roads

Standards

• Right-of-way width is fifty-six (56) feet, pavement width is twenty-four (24) feet and clear zone is ten (10) feet (see development road standard drawing)
• Primary function is to provide access to property
• Lower speed (speed limit less than 40 mph)
• Lower volume (traffic counts less than 2,000 vehicles per day)
• Access control (access to the local county/development roads by abutting properties)

Identification

• All county roads on the Official Utah County Road Map unless specified with other designations

Proposed Mobility Routes

Standards

• Mobility routes, as proposed, would connect existing arterial roads and collector roads and be constructed to the major road designation of the existing roads that the mobility route connects.

Identification

• 10,000 North (SR 68 to I-15)
• Lehi 1200 East (US 89 to SR 92)
• 9600 North (Lehi 1200 East to 6800 West)
• 9600 North (SR 74 to Mount Timpanogos Blvd.)
• North Lake Parkway (7350 North and 8000 West to 6400 North and 6000 West)
• East Lake Parkway (6400 North to SR 241)
• Provo Bay Parkway (Provo Airport Road to I-15)
• Spanish Fork Main Street (I-15 University Ave. Exit No. 263 to I-15 Spanish Fork Main Exit No. 257)
• Elk Ridge Drive (SR 198 to SR 164)

Utah County has adopted an “Official Utah County Road Map,” consisting of nineteen map sheets, that indicate the county roads that can be utilized for development purposes and are maintained by Utah County with surface repair, snow removal, widening, and rebuilding or resurfacing.

Subdivision street design standards - “Half roads” bordering a subdivision, which are roads built to one-half the normal width, under the assumption that the adjoining property owners will complete the other half, are contrary to the policies of Utah County. Past experience with half roads has shown that the traffic on them is just as heavy as it is on standard roads once the subdivision is occupied, and, particularly in the unincorporated area, it may be a long time before the remaining undeveloped half is ever constructed.

Off site improvements, including curbs, gutters, and sidewalks should not be required in subdivisions when the lot area is less than five acres and the width of the lot is less than 150 feet. These improvements are necessary for safety and convenience in small lot subdivisions, but do not pertain to the rural subdivisions lots of five acres or larger.

Subdivision access roads are those roads leading to a subdivision from the general county road system to give lot owners access to that system. It is the policy of Utah County to not accept dedication of platted subdivision streets if access roads leading to the subdivision are unpaved. Access roads should be paved from the nearest paved county road up to and along the entire frontage of the subdivision. This policy exists because once the land is developed the usage of the road has changed from rural to urban. Undeveloped land or agricultural enterprises can operate satisfactorily with seasonal unpaved roads, but year-round subdivision occupancy needs paved all-weather roads for their own access and for access by public safety and fire vehicles.

When arterial or collector roads are used for access to subdivision lots, it is recommended that: (1) lot designs be kept as wide as possible along the frontage of the major street; (2) driveways be designed to allow cars to enter and exit a major street without backing into traffic; (3) all driveways be constructed to intersect the arterial or collector at the same grade or elevation as the street surface for at least the length of one vehicle; and (4) adjacent driveways share access when possible.

The Utah County Engineer maintains a book of standards for the development of all designations of county roads and other subdivision improvements. These standards are modified and updated as new products are introduced and as nationally tested road criteria are evaluated.

Airports - The largest airports within Utah County are the Provo airport and the Springville-Spanish Fork Airport. Both of these facilities are continually expanding their air traffic and facilities. There are other military and private airfields, but they do not produce the commercial travel of those mentioned. With the increase of population coupled with the increase in business, education and industry, air travel will continue to increase in Utah County. Provo City has made improvements to their airport facility in anticipation of scheduled air service in the next several years. The county should be aware of the need to provide land use regulations and zone map designations surrounding these airport facilities that will not impair their operation.

Railroads - An urban rail system from Box Elder County to Utah County utilizing an existing rail line has been planned. This system, when completed in the future, would link with the existing TRACS commuter rail lines in Salt Lake County/City, allowing commuter rail service along the Wasatch Front and within the urbanized municipalities of Salt Lake County.

Utah County should continue to work with the railroads to eliminate dangerous county road surface crossings and to install crossing lights and barriers.

Public Transit - Utah Department of Transportation has bus service to Utah County with limited service to the rural unincorporated area. Airport shuttle service and taxi service is also available.

Hiking, Biking and Equestrian Trails - With the abundance of Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management property in Utah County, hiking, biking and equestrian trails have been developed by local government and the Provo-Jordan River Parkway Authority. Utah County should continue to work with other local governments and groups to continue to help in the acquisition of land for the opening of new trail heads and trails, and to maintain their current trails. Trails are not utilized for daily travel in the rural unincorporated county, but are available for all county residents and tourists to provide recreational access to the canyons, mountains, rivers and lakes of Utah County.

Utah County is a high desert on the eastern edge of the basin and range formation which abuts the north-south aligned Wasatch Mountain range. Sheltered from the more severe storms by the surrounding mountains, Utah County experiences a high desert climate with cold winters which bring the needed annual precipitation to sustain its communities and farming. Protection of this localized environment is critical to provide for the current and future population of Utah County.

Land within the boundary of Utah County is comprised of 60% federal, state, county and city ownership, including the area of Utah Lake, and 40% in private ownership. Much of the federal and state land is located in the higher elevations of the mountains which provides the needed watershed for the expanding city populations and for irrigation of farm land. Preservation of water and water features, maintaining healthy air quality, awareness of natural hazards, wildlife protection and forest conservation, are all important for the residents and visitors of Utah County.

Water

Two major concerns of water in Utah County are sufficiency and quality. The county was settled and developed because it is located at one of the few sites in the arid west where supplies of water are sufficient for agriculture and development. The county has a number of streams that originate in the local mountains, and these are supplemented by water from the Provo River, Current Creek, and Thistle Creek, which originate outside of the county boundary. The local water supply is also augmented by inter-basin transfers from the Weber River and tributaries of the Colorado River.

Utah County obtains irrigation water from Mona Reservoir in Juab County and Strawberry Reservoir in Wasatch County, and both irrigation and culinary water from Deer Creek Reservoir in Wasatch County. The Jordanelle Reservoir in Wasatch County also provides municipal and industrial water to northern Utah County. Utah Lake lies within the county boundary but the water is primarily used by downstream owners; local citizens get virtually no use of the lake water except for recreation. Few impoundments exist within Utah County which provide water for local use; those that do include, Payson Lakes, Spring Lake, Salem Pond, and Tibble Fork Reservoir. These are not large impoundments and are important for recreation use as well as water storage.

Springs and wells from underground water supplies are heavily used for both culinary and irrigation in Utah County. The higher quality of the water and the lack of pumping expenses make springs the preferred source of drinking water systems whenever they are available. Most of the larger springs located in the canyon bottoms and foothill areas of the Wasatch Mountains are currently utilized for culinary water supply. Wells are also used by cities to supply water for culinary use and fire suppression with some cities utilizing wells to supply the water needed beyond the amount that can be supplied by springs. Population growth in Utah County will be dependant on additional wells from underground aquifers since little additional water can be obtained from existing captured spring flows.

Unincorporated county property owners should be encouraged to switch from surface flood irrigation to pressurized pipeline irrigation systems, when possible, to conserve irrigation water. Water conservation efforts should also be encouraged for residential landscaping by using timed systems or grasses, shrubs and plants that require minimum amounts of water.

Underground water and spring flow are recharged primarily from the winter snow accumulation in the high mountain watershed areas. It is vital to Utah County that these areas are preserved. Rainfall also adds to the recharge of groundwater, but the annual volume of water contributed by rainfall precipitation in this arid climate is not enough by itself. Mountain watershed areas also provide the runoff that feed the streams and rivers that flow into Utah Lake and the Great Salt Lake. This stream and river water is used for wildlife, irrigation and recreation. It has been the ability to capture and utilize water that has led to the development of Utah County from its early pioneer farming heritage to its current urban and intensive farming development. Preservation of both quantity and quality are necessary. The Utah County Planning Commission relies heavily on the State of Utah Water Engineer to control the water rights assigned to properties, and the Utah County Health Department to monitor community water systems and septic facilities, in making their recommendations concerning land use development in the unincorporated area of Utah County.

Air

The same mountain and lake combination that moderates the climate also contributes to the presence of frequent wintertime temperature inversions. Temperature inversions, periods when the coldest air is trapped close to the ground, lock in stagnant air and pollutants which progressively intensify. Inversion periods that produce cold, fog, icy roads, and air pollution can last up to several weeks in Utah County. The layer of hazy pollution associated with the inversions comes from the increasing number of automobiles and their emissions and pollutants from the commercial and industrial uses associated with the growing county population. This layer of haze makes it difficult for sunlight to penetrate to the surface of the ground and resolve the inversion problem by heating the lower layer of air. In such an inversion situation, relief is only available when a weather front moves into the county with enough energy to break the inversion and bring in fresh air and sunlight.

Testing for carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, ozone, and particulate matter has been in progress for a number of years in Utah County. Historically, the county has exceeded air quality standards for carbon monoxide, largely due to heavy automobile use and industrial discharges; and particulate matter, from industry, wood burning stoves, construction disturbance, road dust, diesel engine discharges, agriculture operations, and illegal refuse burning. The periods when air quality in Utah County have been exceeded have been in the winter months and in the county’s urbanized Wasatch Front.

Development on five acre lots in the unincorporated area has not had an impact on the ability to attain county air quality compliance, even though commuting is increased from these outlying areas. The carbon monoxide and particulate matter that is added to the air in these outlying areas are well below the maximum allowable levels.

Factors that have led to reduced air pollution levels during favorable weather conditions in Utah County include the lowering of automobile emissions by a vigorous inspection program; the termination of local steel manufacturing; the option to utilize mass transit during commuting periods; and the restrictions instituted by the State Division of Health on wood burning stoves and fireplaces. The county must continue to monitor, regulate, inspect and find new methods to maintain a healthy quality of air as population, industry, services and vehicles continue to increase.

Natural Hazards

Earthquakes and surface fault rupture - The Wasatch Fault is an active fault and geological evidence shows earthquakes have occurred within the last 300 years which have created vertical displacements of 15 to 20 feet in some segments of the fault. Less severe earthquakes have occurred, on average, decennially in Utah County. Surface fault ruptures can damage or destroy buildings and may sever transportation routes and utility and water supply lines, causing additional dangers for fighting fires and restricted mobility of medical and safety personnel.

Ground shaking is the most common hazard associated with earthquakes and exists countywide. This hazard has been partially moderated by the State which has adopted the most recent building code standards. Utah County has a seismic classification of Zone D-1, which prescribes stricter construction standards than required in other parts of the United States which have little or no earthquake occurrence. Only California has a more restrictive seismic classification. Where structures are constructed in areas with a high water table or near a water feature, ground shaking can also cause liquefaction of the soils. This causes the soils to become unstable. Structures may not be shaken apart but will tilt, sink or actually list over on their side; this does not often cause harm to the individual, but the structure usually cannot be saved and must be demolished.

Landslides, rock fall and debris flow - Steep sloping ground and an unusual amount of water can result in landslides, mud flows, or debris flows. Certain types of rocks in Utah County, such as the Manning Canyon Shale, have a structural makeup that has a propensity for landslide activity, especially during a period when these soils are saturated from heavy rainfall or snow melt. Debris flows, defined as a mass of mud, rock fragments, soil, and water, moving much like a stream, occur mainly in the cloudburst flood channels of the mountain front.

Rock fall can occur during an earthquake when exposed rocks on steep slopes are dislodged by ground shaking, or as an individual event when broken free from the mountainside by the freeze-thaw regime of winter climate. In either case, large rocks rolling and bouncing down the slope of the mountainside can be damaging and dangerous to those living near the base of the mountains.

Avalanches

The deep snow of the upper elevations in the mountains of Utah County often produces avalanches. Many of these avalanches occur in uninhabited areas and only damage vegetation. Back country winter recreationists can also fall victim to these remote avalanches and are often the trigger for the avalanche since it takes very little disturbance to set them in motion. Avalanches usually follow the same paths each year, but exceptional weather conditions in some years produce avalanches so large they exceed their normal chutes. In this situation, the avalanche may strike the lowland areas and cover roads and damage houses. Unlike other hazards, where the hazard is ever present and available for study, snow conditions capable of producing avalanches are ephemeral and dangerous, and not well suited to careful study. Information on avalanches is minimal for Utah County. Destructive avalanches have occurred in Hobble Creek Canyon, the Sundance area of the North Fork of Provo Canyon, Vivian Park, Slide Canyon, and Bridal Veil Falls in the main part of Provo Canyon.

Floods

Utah County can experience three types of floods: flash floods, riverine floods, and lakeside floods. The flash floods occur when torrential rain delivers water in an upland area at a volume greater than the soil can absorb, when unusually warm spring weather melts the snow pack too quickly, or when a dam, landslide or other obstruction impounding water gives way.

Riverine floods occur on the natural flood plain as part of the normal process where water from high stream flows are stored outside the river banks until the flow diminishes.

Lake side floods on land surrounding Utah Lake are dependent upon how much water is stored in the winter snow pack, the manipulation of the storage reservoirs upstream and the irrigation releases at the outlet of Utah Lake. Dredging of the Jordan River, the outlet from Utah Lake to the Great Salt Lake, has been used to help reduce flooding along the shoreline of Utah Lake.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, has identified the Utah Lake flood plain and several riverine flood plains in Utah County and requires Utah County government to administer special protective regulations in these areas. The FEMA maps show the areas of 100 year and 500 year flooding and have placed those maps in the Utah County Community Development Department office. Within these flood plains, buildings must either meet flood-proofing standards, or have their lowest livable floor elevation certified higher than the maximum flood elevation as shown on the FEMA maps. Where minor flood channels exist that are not subject to FEMA regulations, Utah County requires structures to meet a minimum set back from the stream bank.

Wildland Fire

A large percentage of land area within the boundary of Utah County is rural and mountainous with a variety of fuels vulnerable to wild land fire. Vegetation types range from grasses and brush to heavy scrub and timber. Even with the efforts to eliminate accumulated fuels through clearing and controlled burns, most of these areas have large amounts of fuel which can burn violently when ignited. Homes have also been constructed within these wild land fire areas that complicate fire management and control. Protection of natural resources, life and property, and firefighters and their equipment, has continued to add to the cost of fire suppression. Besides the immediate danger to life and property and the loss of vegetation, wild land fire can create secondary concerns of erosion, flooding, landslides, debris flows, water quality degradation, displacement of wildlife and livestock, as well as aesthetic impacts. Utah County annually has wild land fires. The number of fires can be reduced by fire safety education and using common sense during periods of high fire danger. The intensity of these fires can vary due to weather conditions and the abundance of fuel.

The Utah County Fire Marshal’s office provides fire information, education, prevention and investigation throughout the unincorporated area, while the Wild Land Fire division of the County Sheriff’s department provides for the prevention and suppression of wild land fires in the unincorporated private lands and cooperates with the state and federal agencies when wild land fires are initiated on public lands or cross over onto such lands. The adoption by Utah County of the International Fire Code and the Urban/Wildland Interface Area of the Utah County Code has increased the effectiveness of fire prevention and has reduced the risks, costs, and adverse impacts of wild land fire.

Wildlife and Forest Conservation

The tree community in any particular spot of Utah County is a product of climate, soils, land forms, and elevation. Trees constitute the major vegetative type in the county. This is true even though Utah County is a productive agricultural county. The majority are deciduous trees; aspen, maple, and oak, although the tree communities of many cool, north-facing slopes in the county are composed of evergreen fir and spruce. Smaller tree communities found west of the Wasatch Mountains are composed of mostly junipers and pinion pines.

Utah County has few stands that are useful for milling into lumber. Sporadic cuts of deciduous trees, such as cottonwoods, occur to make warehousing pallets, shipping crates, and supports for mine safety. Junipers are often harvested and trimmed to make fence posts. Various woods are utilized for home fireplace heating, and a few softwoods have been cut to supply local sawmills with dimensional lumber. However, the most important use of the areas covered by the tree communities in Utah County is as watershed. Inexpensive supplies of culinary and irrigation water are produced in the mountain forests adjacent to Utah County’s population and agriculture centers and require very little expense for treatment and transportation.

The forested land also produces a crop of browse used for grazing livestock, forage for game animals, and scenic landscape that is important to the recreationist. The tourists that are drawn to these mountains for their beauty and recreation aspects bring important out-of-county dollars into the county’s economy annually.

The extensive oak brush covered slopes of the Traverse Mountains and the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains is a highly fire prone vegetative type. Termed “chaparral” in some studies, the chaparral is also the critical winter habitat for the mule deer population and constitutes the majority of their food source when deep mountain snow force the deer to congregate in these lower elevations. Unlike the forested areas, the high shrub community has no significance for lumber or wood products. Its basic value is for watershed, browse, and scenic qualities.

A variety of animals and fowl live in the habitats of Utah County. Like vegetation, animal and fowl habitat is a result of the surrounding environmental conditions of soil and climate. Mule deer and elk are the most numerous big game animals in the county, and both are avidly pursued by local and out-of-state sportsmen. For both of these species, the size of the population is limited by the quantity and quality of food that can be found in the areas where they winter. Residential development has encroached into these critical deer and elk winter areas resulting in a loss of population as they are driven from their normal winter habitat.

Mountain goat, moose, cougar, bear, and many species of smaller mammals are also found in Utah County. Valley varieties of birds, game birds, raptors, and mountain birds and fowl can be found in Utah County. Golden and Bald Eagle winter nesting sites are plentiful in areas near the shores of Utah Lake. A variety of fish are found in Utah Lake and most all streams, lakes and ponds have native and planted trout. Stretches of the Provo River, through Utah County, are designated as a blue ribbon trout fishery.

Water, air, natural hazards, forest and wildlife, are all environmental elements that must be factored into the planning process. Elimination of any one from land use planning efforts could cause undesired effects to vital resources needed to provide for the many who have chosen to live in Utah County because of these qualities as they presently exist.

The word “planning,” when used by a city or county government, means the process of logically arranging physical development, both public and private, to coordinate residential, commercial, industrial development, agriculture and open space, with the essential supportive public facilities and services. To initiate planning within its jurisdiction, a local government customarily prepares and adopts a general plan having various elements mandated by state government and additional elements selected by the jurisdiction, to provide for the management of long-range growth and development.

Municipalities

In preparing the Utah County Land Use Plan, notice was taken of the existing and permitted land uses in the twenty-four incorporated municipalities within the county. A county is distinct from a city in that it does not actually have the function, as a city does, to accommodate the complete spectrum of activities available to those who reside within it. Municipalities are created to provide urban governmental services essential for urban development and for the protection of public health, safety, and welfare. Counties are recognized as legal subdivisions of the State and thereby function in a supportive role to the incorporated urban places rather than competing with them for control of industrial sites, shopping centers, and residential growth. Counties exist to fill the governmental void that would otherwise exist in the territory lying between cities and towns.

In their role as subdivisions of state government, counties collect the property tax for the state, the school districts, and the cities, as well as act as custodians over court, land, marriage, and other important public records. On the other hand, it is inappropriate for a county to imitate municipal governments by zoning for a full range of urban land uses, with the resulting responsibility of providing a matched set of urban services.

Land uses excluded from the county land use ordinance and the land use element of the general plan, in unincorporated Utah County, were not intended to be exclusions from county residents, but were found to be properly provided for in the incorporated municipalities for those living in both county and city. Those uses of land recommended for inclusion in the land use ordinance of the unincorporated area are the uses deemed valid for a non-urban, unincorporated setting.

Preparing the land use element plan

In the process of determining what uses of land to include in the land use plan of the unincorporated area of Utah County, it is necessary to take into account the historical use of the land, the changing economic conditions, geographic and geologic features, transportation routes, slope and vegetation, and population. Reviewing these categories, along with the annexation policies of each jurisdiction, land ownership and other specific land area studies, a planning matrix can be achieved to indicate those areas best suited for future changes to the land use pattern or areas to be maintained with little or limited change.

Agriculture as a land use

Because good, level agricultural soil is equally suitable for industrial, residential, and commercial development, the future of agriculture on the valley floor of Utah County is tentative. The decrease in minimum lot size from forty acres to five acres for a dwelling in the agricultural zone has also contributed to larger ranches and farm tracts being broken into smaller parcels which become less productive as an agricultural unit. Agricultural land has provided a local market of fresh fruit, vegetables, eggs and meat, and continues to provide an attractive landscape for recreation, hunting and visual ruralness.

Unfortunately, the high value placed upon Utah County agriculture for aesthetic reasons is the very thing which threatens the continuation of farming in this area. From the detached vantage point of the urban county resident, the farmland is a magnet that lures residents to resettle amidst the cattle and cornfields. After moving into the agricultural areas, the non-farmer’s annoyance at odors, pesticides, dust, pre-dawn tractor and sprayer noise, and run-away irrigation water, creates conflict. The agriculture protection area afforded by state code may provide the protection needed by the farmer for urban encroachment into the production farm areas.

Housing as a land Use

Residential districts shown on the land use element map are those most suitable for residential use, including the commercial and governmental activities that support such use. Each zone district permits single-family dwellings that meets the minimum area, frontage and width required within each zone. Areas designated as residential on the land use element map are those areas that could be developed for residential use with water systems, sewer systems, and road access, with the support of adjacent municipal services or abutting existing outlying water and/or sewage systems.

Utah County’s preference for the location of residential development is, first in the established municipalities, second in areas adjacent to those municipalities which are included within an annexation boundary of a municipality, third in unincorporated communities with central water systems and existing dense settlement, fourth in unincorporated communities with existing dense settlement and some services (except a central water system), and last, new communities in areas where the developer pays the cost of installation of services. It is the policy of Utah County, by resolution, that new unincorporated communities, and existing dense settlements in the unincorporated county, proceed toward incorporation as a town as soon as the minimum population to do so is achieved.

When an application to amend the general plan to a residential designation is submitted, a soil report and soil feasibility study on the use of septic systems for the development or amendment should be submitted by the owner/developer based on existing soil studies that have been provided by the Soil Conservation Service or studies completed by a recognized soil engineer.

Commerce as land use

The central business district is the beginning point from which city utilities and services extend outward into the community; the best roads, largest water lines, and major police and fire-fighting equipment are usually located in this area. The large proportion of the community’s taxes collected from the central business district is paralleled by the high level of government services provided in the downtown area.

Nearly every resident of unincorporated Utah County lives within three miles of one of the several municipal commercial business districts in the county. It is proposed that no new commercial zones be established in the unincorporated area, except: (1) commercial areas in remote, well-spaced locations along state highways for the convenience of the traveling public; (2) in populated unincorporated neighborhood areas to provide convenient commercial uses for the residents of these areas; and (3) within platted recreational resort developments.

Industry as a land use

Industry is a term which is applied to a wide variety of economic activities and land uses, and is essential to most communities as a source of jobs and tax revenue. Most industries need good highway access, water and sewer availability, level ground with moderate to heavy load bearing capacity and adequate heating and electrical utilities that exist or are readily available. State adopted and county mandated building codes and fire safety codes limit the type of structures and uses available in the unincorporated county industrial zones when no water supply system is available for the required fire flow. Existing and new industrial zones have not developed in the county due to this lack of infrastructure to meet minimum code requirements.

Many industrial uses are sufficiently offensive that they cannot be located in municipal industrial areas. Other industrial activities, such as mineral reduction or processing plants, need to be located near the site of their associated natural resource extraction operation. In such cases, industrial zones in the unincorporated area may be created. It is recommended that industrial uses not be allowed in the commercial, residential or agricultural zones; or that nonindustrial uses be allowed in the zone designated for specific industrial activities.

Lands used for watersheds

The most fundamental land use in the arid west is watershed use which provides the essential water for agriculture, residential and all other land uses. Any damage to watershed areas should be rehabilitated, and the critical mountain areas should be managed for flood and fire protection, water conservation and erosion prevention. Valley infiltration areas that recharge the ground water supplies should also be protected from development, pollution, excavation, and surface covering that would reduce infiltration.

Since the valley floor areas contribute to the water table, the disposal of human and industrial waste into the soil should be minimized by the utilization of sewage treatment facilities whenever possible. Storm water runoff from development should be required to be disposed of on-site to increase the water table recharge, unless a storm drain or surface drain that is controlled by an agency or jurisdiction is available that would allow for the increase of water runoff to an acceptable body of water or sump.

Public Utilities

Public streets, parks, or any public way, ground, place or space, publicly owned buildings or structures, and publicly or privately owned utilities are necessary for the continued growth and development within Utah County and within the state. All land use designations and zone map designations should provide for the location of these public uses.

General Plan, Land Use Element Plan

Watershed Area - Lands in the unincorporated area of Utah County that are classified within the CE-1, Critical Environment Zone, typify the canyon and mountain areas of Utah County. The majority of the water necessary for culinary use, irrigation, recreation, natural vegetation and wildlife, is initiated from these CE-1 zoned areas. This is accomplished from winter snow accumulation and absorption of rainfall. Any request to diminish this watershed area by changing this zone designation, should be accompanied by an engineered soil study and report which would indicate the mitigation of the watershed land area being converted to an alternative land use and the ability of the watershed soils to accept in-ground septic systems without incurring pollution to this critical water storage area.

Agriculture Area - This designation includes those areas within the M&G-1, Mining and Grazing Zone, A-40, Exclusive Agriculture Zone and RA-5, Residential Agricultural Zone. These areas are zoned for land uses relating to the grazing and pasturing of livestock, mining, production agriculture operations and low density residential development. Historically, the previous RA-1 Zone, and the A-1 Zone, and the current RA-5 Zone, have been those areas related to irrigated agriculture. Any additional conversion of land to the RA-5 Zone should include evidence of an existing irrigation system with irrigated crops, orchard or pasture in production; and not a proposal to do so in the future if the zone map change is approved. Conversion of the RA-5 Zone to the A-40 Zone is encouraged in this agriculture area.

Residential Area - Land that is within the classification of the CE-2, Critical Environment Zone, RR-5, Rural Residential Zone and TR-5, Transitional Residential Zone, are considered residential. These three zones have been developed residentially in recreational canyon areas, adjacent to municipal boundaries for future annexation and in unincorporated areas where some utilities exist or have been constructed by the developer. New areas of residential designation should not be approved except for the expansion of existing residential zones when roads, central sewer systems, topography, central water systems and fire protection indicate that such expansion is feasible.

Commercial Area - These are areas in unincorporated Utah County that are classified within the NC-1, Neighborhood Commercial Zone or the HS-1, Highway Service Zone. As municipalities expand their boundaries into the rural portion of the county, the need for neighborhood commercial activity decreases. Most residents in the unincorporated area of the county are only minutes from city commercial shops and services. Existing neighborhood commercial areas should be maintained only until they no longer serve the population in the surrounding area. New neighborhood commercial areas should not be established unless the need is required by increased unincorporated population or as part of an approved recreational resort development.

Highway Service commercial areas aid the traveling public. Any expansion of the existing HS-1 zoned areas or proposals for creating new areas along state roads and highways should be in conjunction with economic data indicating the need for the expansion or the new location and the cost to Utah County to provide the mandated fire and life safety services. The improvements to vehicular travel by automobile and commercial trucking has reduced the necessity for frequent stops between urbanized areas, which decreases the demand for new highway commercial services in the rural parts of the county.

Manufacture Area - Land that is classified within the I-1, Industrial Zone. Existing industrial areas that do not have access to a municipal or private sewage system or water delivery system for fire suppression should be reviewed and, where appropriate, eliminated. Any new manufacturing area should be approved only if sufficient utilities are available to support the industrial use and annexation into a municipality is not currently possible. As with commercial areas, the municipalities are relied upon to provide the majority of the manufacturing since they also are able to provide the required infrastructure.

General Plan, Land Use Element Map

The Utah County General Plan, Land Use Element Map, illustrates the five areas of the Utah County General Plan, Land Use Element Plan. This land use plan and land use map, along with the goals, objectives and policies element; the moderate income housing element; the transportation and traffic circulation element; and the environmental element; make up the advisory guidelines for the comprehensive development and long-range land use planning for the unincorporated lands of Utah County, Utah.