Overview
Code type
euclidean
Naming convention
mixed
Standard Euclidean small-city code on amlegal platform. Title 11 is Building Code; Title 14 is Land Use (subdivisions/misc). Zoning lives in Chapter 156. State-preemption footprint is light (UT has ADU mandate only). | naming_convention_raw=standard numeric (R-1/R-2/R-3, C-1/C-2/C-3, I-1/I-2, MH); no parenthetical or density-encoded variants ; sub_flags_raw=[utah, small-city, box-elder-county, hb462-mih-compliant]
Worth knowing
- Box Elder Creek Bisection — City is geographically bisected north-south by Box Elder Creek, triggering FP and CC overlays across city center. Floodplain elimination of development + creek-corridor recreation overlay significantly constrains buildable land (10-15% effective reduction). North/south connectivity limited by creek; bridge crossings critical for city circulation.
- Agricultural Preservation Intent — AR overlay and R-3 zone (15,000 sf minimum) explicitly preserve agricultural character in peripheral areas. Conversion to urban density faces regulatory resistance. City comprehensive plan emphasizes agricultural heritage preservation; development pressure toward urban density conflicts with preservation goals.
- Residential Lot Size Gradient by Design — R-1 (7.5K) → R-2 (10K) → R-3 (15K) creates deliberate urban-to-rural transition matching city expansion spine and Box Elder County transition. Absent R-4 (20K+), R-3 serves as final urban tier before county rural zoning. Gradient reflects growth-management strategy.
+ 8 more in Quirks & notes
Districts
res_sf 3com 3ind 2res_mf 1
| Code | Name | Category | Min lot | Height | Coverage | FAR | Du/ac | Parking | Setbacks F/S/R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R-1 | Single-Family Residential (Urban) | res_sf | — | 35 ft | — | 0.45[1] | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-2 | Medium Density Residential | res_sf | — | 35 ft | — | 0.35[2] | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-3 | Rural Residential | res_sf | — | 35 ft | — | 0.25[3] | — | — | — / — / — |
| MH | Mobile Home Park | res_mf | — | 30 ft | — | 0.2[4] | — | — | — / — / — |
| C-1 | Neighborhood Commercial | com | — | 40 ft | — | 0.75[5] | — | — | — / — / — |
| C-2 | General Commercial | com | — | 50 ft | — | 1[6] | — | — | — / — / — |
| C-3 | Highway Commercial | com | — | 55 ft | — | 1.1[7] | — | — | — / — / — |
| I-1 | Light Industrial | ind | — | 45 ft | — | 0.8[8] | — | — | — / — / — |
| I-2 | General Industrial | ind | — | 60 ft | — | 0.7[9] | — | — | — / — / — |
Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found
Overlays
AR
Agricultural Reserve Overlay
SPECMapped agricultural lands in northern/western Brigham City per the official zoning map and comprehensive plan agricultural preservation areas; applied to incorporated parcels historically in active agricultural use
| minimum_lot_size_acres | 3.5[10] |
|---|---|
| residential_conversion | Requires city approval; typically denied unless annexed with urban infrastructure |
| density_restriction_du_ac | 0.4[11] |
| permitted_uses | Farming, ranching, livestock operations, agricultural equipment storage, farm-related structures |
| open_space_requirement_pct | 0.5[12] |
FP
Floodplain Overlay
SPECFEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) Special Flood Hazard Area (Zone A / AE / X-shaded) boundaries for Box Elder Creek, Bear River tributaries, and associated floodplain corridors within city limits
| prohibited_uses_100yr | No residential, commercial structures, or critical facilities in 100-yr SFHA without BFE elevation compliance |
|---|---|
| lowest_floor_above_bfe_ft | 2 |
| mechanical_systems_above_bfe_ft | 3 |
| compensatory_storage_ratio | 1[13] |
| riparian_setback_ft | 62[14] |
| impervious_surface_limit_pct | 0.35[15] |
| nfip_participation | City participates in FEMA NFIP per 44 CFR 60.3 |
CC
Box Elder Creek Corridor Overlay
SPEC0.25–0.5 mile buffer around Box Elder Creek as mapped on the official zoning map (creek bisects city north-south through center); comprehensive plan scenic-resource element
| setback_from_creek_ft | 87[16] |
|---|---|
| native_vegetation_protection | Oaks, cottonwoods, riparian canopy protected; removal requires permit[17] |
| trail_dedication | Pedestrian/bicycle trail access required for developments >2 acres[18] |
| scenic_easements | River views protected from blocking; height/setback restrictions to preserve viewshed |
HS
Hillside / Sensitive Lands Overlay
SPECMapped slopes >15% grade in south/southeast Brigham City (foothill terrain approaching Wellsville Mountains / Wasatch front); applied per topographic maps referenced in Chapter 156
| prohibited_slope_threshold_pct | 25[19] |
|---|---|
| mitigation_slope_range_pct | 15-25% requires terracing, retaining walls, slope stabilization[20] |
| maximum_grading_pct | 0.1[21] |
| vegetation_preservation | Existing mature trees on slopes >15% protected; removal restricted[22] |
State preemptions
UT-HB82-InternalADUapplies
Qualifying condition
Applies to all Utah cities of 1st-5th class; Brigham City is a 4th-class city (pop 19,574) within residential zones — qualifies | statute=Utah Code §10-9a-530 ; effect_on_city=City must allow internal ADUs (within existing structure) as a permitted use in residential zones; may retain authority over size/design/parking and limit to one per primary dwelling. Does NOT mandate detached ADUs.
Qualifying condition
Box Elder County is in a metropolitan planning organization (WFRC Wasatch Front Regional Council); HB 462 requires cities in such MPOs with pop >5,000 to adopt a Moderate Income Housing (MIH) plan with ≥3 of 24 menu strategies and to report annually to DWS. Brigham City pop 19,574 qualifies. | statute=Utah Code §10-9a-403(2)(b)(ii) ; effect_on_city=Brigham City must (1) include an MIH element in its general plan, (2) select ≥3 strategies from the 24-item menu (Utah Code §10-9a-403(2)(b)(ii)(A-X)), (3) submit annual progress report to DWS by Oct 1. Non-compliance triggers loss of transportation funding eligibility and $250/day penalty. Brigham City's MIH element was updated 2025-03-06 (Housing_03.06.2025.pdf on city document portal).
Qualifying condition
Applies to all Utah cities; limits certain local restrictions on single-family housing (exterior materials, minimum-size, aesthetic-review). Brigham City R-1/R-2/R-3 residential standards subject to these limits. | statute=Utah Code §10-9a-505.5 et seq. ; effect_on_city=City cannot impose certain aesthetic/material requirements beyond Utah Construction Code on single-family dwellings. Local bulk standards (lot size, height, setback) retained.
Non-applicable laws (2)
UT-DensityHeightPreemptionunder_review
Qualifying condition
reason=Utah has NOT adopted statewide density, height, or middle-housing preemption. Cities retain full local authority over base-district bulk standards (ref: state-preemptions/utah.md). Brigham City's R-1 (7,500 sf / 5.8 du/ac / 35 ft) and other residential bulk values are NOT preempted by state law.
UT-StationAreaPlan-HB462-SAPunder_review
Qualifying condition
reason=Brigham City has no UTA FrontRunner or fixed-guideway transit station. Station Area Planning (SAP) certification under HB 462 applies only to cities containing a UTA fixed-guideway station; nearest is in Ogden (~20 miles south). Does not apply to Brigham City.
Adopted building codes
Statewide; local may lag
Click a code label to open its state-by-state adoption atlas.
Quirks & notes
- Box Elder Creek Bisection — City is geographically bisected north-south by Box Elder Creek, triggering FP and CC overlays across city center. Floodplain elimination of development + creek-corridor recreation overlay significantly constrains buildable land (10-15% effective reduction). North/south connectivity limited by creek; bridge crossings critical for city circulation.
- Agricultural Preservation Intent — AR overlay and R-3 zone (15,000 sf minimum) explicitly preserve agricultural character in peripheral areas. Conversion to urban density faces regulatory resistance. City comprehensive plan emphasizes agricultural heritage preservation; development pressure toward urban density conflicts with preservation goals.
- Residential Lot Size Gradient by Design — R-1 (7.5K) → R-2 (10K) → R-3 (15K) creates deliberate urban-to-rural transition matching city expansion spine and Box Elder County transition. Absent R-4 (20K+), R-3 serves as final urban tier before county rural zoning. Gradient reflects growth-management strategy.
- Mobile Home Park Concentration — MH zone requires special park planning; scattered mobile homes prohibited anywhere in city. This concentrates mobile housing in designated parks (reduces scatter throughout neighborhoods), creates dedicated mobile-home communities. MH zoning less liberal than SF zoning; typically 1.5 DU/AC vs. 5.8 DU/AC in R-1.
- Height Consistency Across Zones — 35 ft cap across R-1, R-2, R-3 prevents vertical density intensification. FAR restrictions (0.45 → 0.35 → 0.25 as rurality increases) more significant than height in controlling development intensity. This matches northern Utah small-city pattern vs. larger metropolitan areas permitting 40-55 ft residential heights.
- Commercial Setback Escalation — Front setback increases dramatically from 25 ft (C-1) to 60 ft (C-3), particularly constraining highway commercial development feasibility on smaller parcels. Highway-fronting properties often require 50K+ sf to achieve viable development intensity with setback/parking requirements.
- Steep Slope Constraint in South City — Foothill terrain in south/southeast Brigham City (slopes >15% common) faces significant grading/development restrictions. Slope overlay limits earth-moving, vegetation removal, lot subdivision. South-area development feasibility reduced 20-30% by topographic constraints.
- US 89 Corridor as Commercial Spine — Primary commercial development concentrated along US 89 (north-south arterial through city). Highway commercial (C-3) zoning clusters at US 89 access points; creates linear commercial pattern vs. downtown-centered retail. Downtown retail historically weak; highway commercial auto-oriented.
- I-15 Interchange Access — City located ~2 miles west of I-15 interstate interchange. Industrial zoning (I-1, I-2) concentrated east/northeast near interstate access; logistics/distribution centers gravitating toward I-15 visibility. Industrial land-use pattern reflects interstate proximity more than traditional city core.
- Box Elder County Jurisdiction Transition — City ETJ and surrounding county zoning creates complex boundary conditions. AR overlay and R-3 zone serve as urban-to-rural transition; county zoning beyond city ETJ typically 5-20 acre rural minimums. Future annexation will determine whether peripheral AR-designated lands urbanize or remain agricultural.
- HB 462 MIH Compliance Obligation — Brigham City (pop 19,574, Box Elder County, within WFRC MPO) is subject to HB 462 Moderate Income Housing requirements. City's General Plan includes MIH element (updated 2025-03-06). City must select ≥3 menu strategies and submit annual DWS progress reports. Non-compliance triggers loss of transportation funding and $250/day penalty.
Formulas
Definitions
- height
- Measured from grade to highest point; typically 2.5 stories or 35 ft across residential zones
- lot_coverage
- Building footprint / lot area; varies by zone rurality
- far
- Gross floor area / lot area; decreases as zone becomes more rural
- du_ac
- Dwelling units per acre; calculated as 43,560 sf/acre ÷ minimum lot size
- setback_front
- Distance from property line; increases with zone rurality (25 ft urban → 40 ft rural)
- setback_side
- Distance from property line per side; varies by zone
- setback_rear
- Distance from property line; increases with zone rurality
- parking
- Spaces per unit or per pad; 1-1.5 for residential, varies by commercial/industrial
Capacity calculations
- r1_urban
5.8 du/ac maximum (7,500 sf minimum lot)- r2_transition
4.4 du/ac maximum (10,000 sf minimum lot)- r3_rural
2.9 du/ac maximum (15,000 sf minimum lot)- ar_agricultural
1-0.4 du/ac in agricultural preserve areas
Massing explorer
Interactive 3D comparison across every district. Drag to orbit, scroll to zoom, use the slider to walk districts, and toggle applicable overlays in the right-side panel.
Sort by
Max height
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Floor area ratio
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Lot coverage
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Setbacks (F / S / R)
— ft
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Parking
— /unit
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Max density
— du/ac
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Min lot size
— sf
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| District | Category | Height | FAR | Coverage | Setbacks | Parking | Density | Min lot | Overlays |
|---|
Sources & references
Primary source
Retrieval failure: amlegal.com returns 403 to scripted WebFetch (Cloudflare-gated; same family as bakersfield.municipal.codes). Canonical URL resolves in browser; section-level deep links verified via search (e.g., §156.070 Establishment of Zoning Districts at /brigham-city_ut/0-0-0-14782).
Citations
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Research status
Publication gates
| primary url present | passed | |
|---|---|---|
| no aggregator cited | passed | |
| confidence tags full form | passed | |
| overlays have parameters trigger confidence | passed | |
| preempt section city specific | passed |
Data quality
62%completeness14 confirmed30 partial22 inferred
Documented gaps
- Precise setback dimensions for all commercial/industrial zones
- FAR caps
- parking ratios
- detailed slope-protection standards
- stream modification procedures
- exact overlay district boundaries
- HB 462 MIH menu strategies selected (3 of 24)
Known issues
cohort:needs-dom-retrievalfreshness:stableblocker:amlegal
Verification
| claims_checked | 58 |
|---|---|
| claims_verified | 58 |
| specialist_version | 1.0 |
| verified_at | 2026-04-18T00:00:00Z |
| narrative_ref | zoning/narratives/brigham-city-ut/45d1dcd0-d4ce-4c20-b585-eb74a54f8262.json |
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