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Wasatch County Unincorporated
City Zoning Code

CHAPTER 16

11: HIGHWAY SERVICES ZONE HS

16.11.01: PURPOSE

The highway services zone (HS) is established to allow limited commercial services for travelers along highways in remote areas of Wasatch County. Highway service areas shall be limited to compact nodes with concentrated services with the intent to avoid sprawling strip commercial centers. To meet the intent of this chapter, all uses in the highway service zone (HS) are conditional. Additional intent in establishing the highway services zone (HS) is for the following purposes:
  1. To facilitate the provision of services to the traveling public and residents in sparsely populated areas of the county;
  2. To require standards of appearance and maintenance that will complement the dwellings or other uses which have been, or which will likely be, constructed in the surrounding area in the future;
  3. To assure that services are provided along the highway will blend well with the surrounding uses and atmosphere in a small, clustered manner at points along the highway that facilitate safe stopping points for traffic. 

HISTORY
Adopted by Ord. 2002 Code § 16.11.01 on 1/1/2002

16.11.02: CONDITIONAL USES

Those land uses or categories of uses as listed herein, and no others, are allowed as a conditional use in the highway services zone (HS).

  1. All uses contained herein are listed by number as designated in the Wasatch County land use classifications, which is published and maintained by the planning department, and is attached, as appendix 1, chapter 16.36 of this title. Classes or groupings of uses permitted in the zone are identified by a four (4) digit number in which the last one or two (2) digits are zeros, and subuses of those categories or groupings will follow that number. (For example, a particular category may be listed as 8100, and a subcategory of 8100 would be 8110 and a subcategory of 8110 would 8111.) This document, available in the planning office, is to be used by the planning office and others to assist in determining similar uses and the intent of this chapter.
  2. All such classes listed herein and all specific uses contained within them in the Wasatch County land use classification will be permitted in the highway services zone (HS), subject to the limitations set forth herein:
    CONDITIONAL USES IN THE HIGHWAY SERVICES ZONE (HS)
Use Number Use Classification
1511 Hotels
1512 Motels and motor hotels
1516 Bed and breakfast
1518 Accessory dwelling for nonresidential use
2835Medical Cannabis Pharmacies
4500 Highway and street rights of way
4712 Wireless Telecommunication Facilities
4713 Small Wireless Facilities
4732 Radio transmitting stations and towers
4742 Television transmitting stations and relay towers
4810 Electric utilities, except 4813
4800 Utilities (except 4812, 4813, 4822, 4823, 4824, 4825, 4829, 4830, 4840, 4846, 4850 and 4860)
5390 Other retail trade - general merchandise
5430 Fruits and vegetables
5440 Candy, nuts and confectionery
5450 Dairy products
5463 Doughnut shops
5490 Retail trade - food, NEC
5520 Tires, batteries and accessories
5530 Gasoline service stations
5800 Eating and drinking places
5951 Sporting goods
5980 Fuel and ice
5995 Gifts, novelties, souvenirs, cards, etc.
7419Private trailhead staging area for snowmobile rentals. (No business transactions)
7490 Recreation, NEC
7517Recreational Vehicle Park
7600 Parks
HISTORY
Adopted by Ord. 2002 Code § 16.11.03 on 1/1/2002
Amended by Ord. 19-12 on 12/18/2019
Amended by Ord. 20-01 on 4/15/2020
Adopted by Ord. 21-09 on 8/18/2021
Amended by Ord. 21-18 on 12/15/2021
Amended by Ord. 25-14 on 10/15/2025

16.11.03: LOT WIDTH AND FRONTAGE

There are no specific width requirements for this zone, except that the width and frontage must be sufficient to provide reasonable space to accommodate the requested uses, including buildings, landscaping and off street parking, while maintaining a safe and adequate access to and from the highway. 

HISTORY
Adopted by Ord. 2002 Code § 16.11.03 on 1/1/2002

16.11.04: AREA REQUIREMENTS

There are no area requirements. 

HISTORY
Adopted by Ord. 2002 Code § 16.11.04 on 1/1/2002

16.11.05: SETBACK REQUIREMENTS

The setback requirements for this zone shall be as follows:
  1. Front Setback: All buildings and structures shall be set back at least thirty feet (30') from the highway right of way. Fuel pumps shall have a setback of at least fifty feet (50') from any highway right of way.
  2. Side Setback, Interior Lots: No building shall be located closer than twenty feet (20') to any residential use, and shall be required to provide a wall and/or landscape buffer to screen the commercial use from such residential uses. (See section 16.21.19 of this title for further regulations.)
  3. Side Setback, Corner Lots: Corner lots shall be treated as if they have two (2) front setbacks.
  4. Rear Setback, Interior Lots: No building shall be located closer than twenty feet (20') to any residential use boundary lines, and shall be required to provide a wall and/or landscape buffer to screen the commercial use from such residential uses. (See section 16.21.19 of this title for further regulations.)
  5. Rear Setback, Corner Lots: No building shall be located closer than twenty feet (20') to any residential use or thirty feet (30') to any road or highway, and shall be required to provide a wall and/or landscape buffer to screen the commercial use from such residential uses. (See section 16.21.19 of this title for further regulations.) 

HISTORY
Adopted by Ord. 2002 Code § 16.11.05 on 1/1/2002

16.11.06: HEIGHT

Height of all dwellings, accessory buildings and/or structures shall not exceed forty feet (40') above natural grade, unless approved as a conditional use. Additional setbacks apply for commercial buildings over twenty feet (20') high when bordering residential uses (see section 16.21.19 of this title). 

HISTORY
Adopted by Ord. 2002 Code § 16.11.06 on 1/1/2002

16.11.07: DISTANCE BETWEEN BUILDINGS

Distance between buildings shall be determined by the regulations of the adopted building code. 

HISTORY
Adopted by Ord. 2002 Code § 16.11.07 on 1/1/2002

16.11.08: SITE PLAN PROVISIONS

Prior to the construction of any building in the highway services zone (HS), a site plan shall be submitted to the planning department and reviewed by the development review committee. Said site plan shall be drawn to scale and shall contain the following information:
  1. The location of all existing and proposed buildings and structures on the site, with full dimensions showing distances between buildings and distances from buildings to adjacent property lines;
  2. A landscaping plan showing the location, types and initial sizes of all planting materials to be used, together with the location of fences, walls, hedges and decorative materials;
  3. Preliminary elevations of main buildings showing the general appearance and type of external materials to be used;
  4. Parking lot layout;
  5. Dumpster enclosure location;
  6. Site lighting;
  7. Neighboring uses;
  8. Irrigation plan;
  9. Utility plan; and
  10. Stormwater, runoff control plan. 

HISTORY
Adopted by Ord. 2002 Code § 16.11.08 on 1/1/2002

16.11.09: PERMISSIBLE LOT COVERAGE

Structures should not cover more than fifty percent (50%) of the parcel on which the land is located. 

HISTORY
Adopted by Ord. 2002 Code § 16.11.09 on 1/1/2002

16.11.10: PARKING, LOADING AND ACCESS

Each use shall provide approved parking sufficient for the use, as well as safe and adequate pedestrian access to the building. All loading and unloading must be done in accordance with required standards. For further regulations on parking and loading, see section 16.33.12 of this title. 

HISTORY
Adopted by Ord. 2002 Code § 16.11.10 on 1/1/2002

16.11.11: OTHER REQUIREMENTS

  1. Landscaping: Any portion of the lot not included in the structure or parking areas must be appropriately landscaped. The front landscape strip shall be thirty feet (30') on any side adjacent to a public street. A minimum of ten percent (10%) of the overall site shall be landscaped. For specific regulations, see section 16.21.10 of this title.
  2. Refuse And Debris: The entire lot shall be kept free from refuse, debris and waste material. All such refuse, garbage debris and waste material shall be kept in approved containers and stored within a building or enclosed in a sight obscuring fence or wall of not less than six feet (6') in height. Garbage containers shall not be located within the required front setback (see section 16.21.15 of this title).
  3. Emissions: No dust, noticeable odor, smoke, vibration, intermittent light or noise shall be emitted which is discernible beyond the property boundary lines (see chapter 16.28 of this title).
  4. Storage: All storage and outside activities, except loading and unloading, shall be enclosed within a building or if approved as part of the conditional use, within an area that is enclosed with a sight obscuring fence at least six feet (6') and no more than eight feet (8') in height (see section 16.21.15 of this title).
  5. Maintenance: All signs, structures, parking areas, landscaping or other portions of the development that are visible from either an adjoining residential use, or from a major street or highway, shall be kept in good repair and maintenance at all times. Failure to do so may be grounds for refusal to renew any business license or conditional use permit.
  6. Sewer and Water Requirements: See section 16.27.11 of this title.
  7. Signs: Any signs or other form of advertising must comply with the sign provisions of this title. Any signs fronting a state highway shall be monument signs (see chapter 16.26 of this title).
  8. Building Design: Architectural renderings of all buildings shall be required. All facades visible from a public street cannot be metal.
  9. Additional Regulations: See also chapters 16.21, "Supplementary Development Standards" and 16.27, "Development Standards", of this title for additional regulations that apply to this zone. In the event of a conflict between these chapters and the regulations contained in this chapter, the regulations of this chapter would control.
HISTORY
Adopted by Ord. 2002 Code § 16.11.11 on 1/1/2002
Amended by Ord. 19-05 on 8/7/2019

19-12

20-01

21-09

21-18

25-14

19-05