Zoning words in plain English
The 24 terms you'll hear at the city counter, explained in a sentence or two. These are general meanings; each city's code has its own exact definitions.
- Zone (zoning district)
- The category a property is placed in on the zoning map, like C-2 or R-1-8. Each zone has its own list of uses and standards. Every city names its zones its own way.
- Zoning map
- The city or county's official map showing which zone each property is in.
- Zoning code (land use ordinance)
- The city's written rules for each zone: what uses are allowed and how buildings must be placed and sized.
- Permitted use
- A use the zone allows as long as the project meets the zone's standards.
- Conditional use
- A use the zone allows after a review. The city can attach conditions, like hours, screening or traffic changes, to deal with its likely impacts.
- Setback
- The minimum distance a building must sit from a property line or street.
- Lot coverage
- How much of a lot buildings may cover, usually as a percentage.
- Floor area ratio (FAR)
- Total building floor area divided by lot area. A 1.0 FAR on a 20,000 sq ft lot allows about 20,000 sq ft of floor space, spread over however many floors the height limit allows.
- Density
- How many homes are allowed per acre. It often decides how many apartments or townhomes fit.
- Parking ratio
- How many parking spaces a use must provide, often per 1,000 sq ft of building or per unit.
- Overlay zone
- A layer of extra rules on top of the base zone, for example near an airport, a highway corridor or a downtown.
- General plan
- The city's long-range vision for land use. It is not zoning, but cities lean on it when they decide a rezone.
- Rezone
- A request to move a property into a different zone. The planning commission usually makes a recommendation after a public hearing, and the city council decides.
- Variance
- A narrow exception to a standard, like a setback, when a property has unusual circumstances. Variances generally can't allow a use the zone doesn't allow.
- Nonconforming use ("grandfathered")
- A use or building that was legal before the rules changed. It may keep going, usually with limits on expanding or rebuilding.
- Planned unit development (PUD)
- A custom set of rules approved for one project, often with a site plan or development agreement that decides what is allowed.
- Development agreement
- A contract between a developer and the city setting out what will be built and what each side will do.
- Site plan review
- The city's check that a specific project's layout meets the code before permits are issued.
- Subdivision (plat)
- Dividing land into lots. It needs city or county approval and a recorded plat map.
- Impact fee
- A one-time fee a new project pays toward roads, water, sewer, parks or public safety it adds demand for.
- Entitlements
- The approvals a project needs before building: zoning, site plan, subdivision and the like.
- Zoning verification letter
- A letter from the city stating a property's zone and, often, whether its current use conforms. Lenders often ask for one.
- Accessory dwelling unit (ADU)
- A second, smaller home on the same lot as a house, inside it or separate. Utah law requires most cities to allow the kind inside a house.
- Mixed use
- Shops, offices and homes in the same building or on the same block.
Want to see them in action? Try the Zone Decoder or read how Utah zoning works.
Not legal or zoning advice. Zoning rules change, and only the city or county can say for sure what is allowed on a property. Confirm with the city or county planning department before you buy, sign or build.