Alpine residents could see two significant actions at Tuesday's City Council meeting: a public hearing on sales tax revenue bonds and a potential vote on rules allowing detached backyard dwelling units for the first time.

The council meets at 6 p.m. Aug. 25 at City Hall, 20 N. Main St. The meeting will also stream online via the city's event page.

Bonds public hearing

A public hearing on the issuance of sales tax revenue bonds was postponed from the council's July 14 meeting to Aug. 25. Mayor Carla Merrill said at the July meeting that state notice requirements for bond issuance necessitated the later date. The specific dollar amount and purpose of the proposed bonds have not been publicly detailed in available meeting records.

Residents will have the opportunity to comment on the bond proposal during the hearing.

Detached ADU ordinance

The council is expected to consider adopting a detached accessory dwelling unit code that the Planning Commission reviewed at an Aug. 18 public hearing. As we reported ahead of that hearing, Utah's Senate Bill 284 requires every city with a population of 5,000 or more to allow detached ADUs by Oct. 1. Alpine's estimated population is 10,444.

Whether the Planning Commission formally recommended approval has not been confirmed in public records. If it did, the ordinance advances to the council for adoption.

Under the proposed code, freestanding units up to 1,200 square feet would be permitted on lots of at least 11,000 square feet that contain a single-family home. Key conditions include:

• The property owner must live in either the main home or the ADU.
• No short-term rentals. Units cannot be rented for fewer than 90 consecutive days.
• Only one ADU per lot, whether internal or detached.
• The ADU must match the main home's design and cannot exceed its size.
• Two on-site parking spaces are required for units 650 square feet or larger; one space for smaller units.

The city can deny a permit if sewer, water or stormwater systems lack capacity. Alpine already allows interior ADUs such as basement apartments under an ordinance adopted in October 2023.

The deadline is tight.

The proposal has drawn scrutiny from planning commissioners. At the commission's Aug. 4 meeting, city engineer Jason Judd flagged an enforcement gap: "We have people who build a 2,000-square-foot, four-car garage with an ADU on the top. Now we say the ADU can't be bigger than 1,200 square feet. That doesn't match up and the whole building could end up being an ADU at some point."

Also at the Aug. 4 meeting, Commissioner Susan Whittenburg said she understands young people are priced out of Alpine but raised concerns about whether rental ADUs will be properly maintained.

At a Jan. 27 work session, engineer John Schiess of Horrocks Engineers told the council that a few new ADUs probably would not strain Alpine's water and sewer systems, but if many are added, capacity would need to be reevaluated.

How to participate

The Aug. 25 meeting is open to the public. Residents can attend in person at 20 N. Main St. or contact the City Recorder's Office at (801) 756-6347, ext. 3, for accommodations. The full agenda packet is available on Alpine City's website.