Ogden City proposing ordinance to increase single-family homes

OGDEN, Utah — Ogden City announced a pending ordinance to limit multi-family apartments and dwellings in several community and regional commercial zones.

This ordinance is heralded by Ogden City Mayor Ben Nadolski and his administration. They are proposing it to place temporary limits on new apartment building projects in Ogden, according to a press release. 

Why place limits? 

Nadolski said in a press release that collected data indicates that Ogden residents “need and want” to buy single-family homes, especially first-time buyers.

This ordinance would reportedly create more of those single-family homes.

Ogden City Planning Manager Barton Brierly said it’s also to put multi-family buildings in more accessible areas downtown.

“We want to make sure when housing happens, they have good access to transit, close to parks, they’re walkable and sustainable,” Brierly said. “We were getting a lot of apartment developments that really didn’t have access to parks, trails or sidewalks.”

Where will the limits apply? 

According to the press release, the ordinance will place limits on new apartments in zones located:

• Along Wall Avenue and Washington Boulevard,
• North of 18th Street,
• South of 27th Street,
• Along 12th Street and Harrison Boulevard.

Unless one of the following exceptions are met, new apartments in these areas will be prohibited. 

1. Senior multiple-family dwellings
2. Multiple-family dwellings next to OGX station areas
3. Mixed-use projects on lots of at least 10 acres.

If passed, the ordinance would only impact future developments. On July 3, Ogden City will host a public hearing discussing these ordinances. 

KSL NewsRadio’s Emma Keddington contributed to this story. 

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