New residential parking ordinance means no cars in yards

Kearns residents will soon have a new parking enforcement ordinance taking effect in their neighborhoods. The Salt Lake County Commission has amended the larger parking ordinance to specify how many and what kind of vehicles can be parked in front of, or on, residential property.

“It started when our residents said they were tired of looking at junk cars sitting on their neighbor’s front yard,” Kearns Community councilmember Kent Markus said.

 The new ordinance states that no vehicles--private, commercial or recreational--can be parked on the grass in front of a home. The ordinance also states that vehicles parked on the side of a home must be parked on either a paved surface or be parked on compacted gravel, six inches deep, and free of weeds. All vehicles can be parked on grass behind the front of a home if screened by a six-foot opaque fence. Only one commercial vehicle can be parked on the property, on a hard surface like the driveway, and the owner must get a permit for the vehicle from Salt Lake County. If the owner doesn’t want to get a permit, that vehicle must be parked behind the front of the house and screened by a fence.

“Kearns is a great place to live,” KCC member Roger Snow said. “We want a cleaner, nicer look to our community.”

Kearns is not the only area affected by the new ordinance. Any township or unincorporated part of Salt Lake County is subject to the change. Enforcement officers will start responding to complaints immediately.

“From now until July, we are going to respond to a complaint by educating the homeowner and explaining what needs to be done for their property to come into compliance,” planning specialist Nancy Moorman said. “We want to be as fair as possible.”

During the phased enforcement, homeowners will be asked to comply within a generous time period. After July, homeowners will have two weeks to comply before they are cited.

“We understand it may take longer than two weeks to schedule and get concrete poured,” Moorman said. “As long as they can prove they are making progress, we will not issue a citation once the two weeks have passed.”

Salt Lake County does not have the funds to pay for an enforcer to drive around issuing situations. Right now, the department works off of a complaint log. Residents can either call the complaint line or file a complaint online. Residents can call 801-468-2176 with inquiries or concerns.

“This is an ordinance the community councils said they wanted to help bring up property values and help clean up front yards,” Moorman said. “This ordinance will help create a residential feel in our communities.”

An informational brochure is available online at www.pwpds.slco.org.