Salt Lake City Residents Push Back Against Sweeping Density and Rezone Bids

What is the scope of the proposed zoning changes in Salt Lake City?

Salt Lake City planners and leaders are attempting comprehensive zoning code updates designed to expand housing options, enable smaller lots down to 2,000 square feet, and tackle ongoing affordability and supply hurdles, according to HousingWire and FOX 13 News. The Expanding Housing Options (EHO) proposal covers 77% of the city's residentially zoned land, translating to roughly 40,000 properties. According to the City Planning Department's website cited by HousingWire, the objective is to "create gentle infill opportunities that fit in with the character of low-density Salt Lake City neighborhoods."

At the same time, specific neighborhood rezone applications are advancing through the municipal pipeline. In the Glendale neighborhood, a petition led by residents targeting roughly 24 to 35 units across three parcels near Van Buren and Harris avenues drew over 875 signatures, reported The Salt Lake Tribune and FOX 13. Separately, Building Salt Lake reported an ongoing rezone request in Emigration Canyon for a 6-acre property at 3052 E. Emigration Canyon Rd., where an owner petitioned to shift from FR-2/21,780 to RMF-75 to allow buildings up to 75 feet high and up to 335 units, compared to the currently allowable 12 units.

Who is affected and what are the main arguments?

The proposals have created a sharp divide between housing advocates, developers, and established homeowners. Turner Bitton, executive director of Wasatch Advocates for Livable Communities (WALC), stated in HousingWire and FOX 13 reports that the proposal is "grounded in the simple, evidence-backed idea that the small homes, duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes already woven into our most beloved neighborhoods can be legal to build again." Bitton noted that traditional single-family homes in neighborhoods like Glendale are estimated to sell for over $600,000 to $700,000, pricing out many families.

Developers Jonathan and Carrie Marsh, who are behind the Glendale project, told The Salt Lake Tribune that they care about creating affordable homeownership opportunities, though they noted city-imposed conditions make the project less profitable. Under the proposed Glendale terms, half of the homes or lots would be priced for buyers earning 80% or less of the Area Median Income (AMI)—about $41 an hour, per The Salt Lake Tribune—with the remainder split between 100% and 120% AMI.

Conversely, neighborhood residents and groups argue the density shifts are inappropriate. Peter Wetzel of the Neighborhood Housing Alliance characterized the EHO proposal as being "on steroids," telling FOX 13 that "you could drop a house in the front yard, and you could drop a house in the backyard... with no notification of the neighbors." Ross Whitaker, a 25-year resident on Van Buren Avenue cited by The Salt Lake Tribune, remarked after local pushback: "I feel we did a great job. I feel we won. I feel we made a statement... We’re serious, and we don’t want this to happen."

Residents have also pointed to infrastructure challenges, such as aging water mains and recent water main breaks, while raising concerns over lost local input and parking congestion. City planners and Public Utilities noted that water and sewer upgrades would likely be required but funded by developers, and transportation studies found no current roadway capacity concerns.

When do the next hearings take place?

The City Planning Commission unanimously tabled the citywide EHO proposal during a Wednesday session in September 2026 due to a public-notice error, according to HousingWire and FOX 13. The public hearing for EHO is scheduled to resume on September 23, 2026. Meanwhile, the Glendale rezone project secured a positive recommendation from the Planning Commission on a 3-2 vote with 2 abstentions, according to FOX 13. Both the EHO framework and the Glendale project require final authority from the Salt Lake City Council, which will hold briefings and additional public hearings before a final vote.