How Salt Lake City Handles Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: A Practical Guide
Salt Lake City maintains 165 local ordinances across all categories, and 2 of those deal specifically with zoning overlays & bonuses. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Salt Lake City falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.
Density Bonus Law
Salt Lake City lets RMF-30 property owners add one or two bonus dwelling units, beyond normal zoning limits, if they keep an existing house or apartment building standing instead of tearing it down.
Key details: Bonus for keeping single/two-family bldg: 1 unit (RMF-30). Bonus for keeping multi-family bldg: 2 units (RMF-30). RMF-35/RMF-45 bonus range: 2 or 4 units. Parking for bonus units: exempt. Enforcement mechanism: recorded restrictive covenant.
Demolishing the retained qualifying structure without also removing the bonus unit(s) breaches the recorded restrictive covenant, which the city or, per Utah Code section 10-9a-802, any adversely affected party can enforce in court, with attorney's fees awarded to the prevailing party.
Salt Lake City is more permissive than most cities when it comes to density bonus law. That said, there are still limits.
Downtown Design Guide
Salt Lake City's D-1 Central Business District ties downtown building form to urban-design goals, requiring Chapter 21A.59 design review for most buildings over 100 feet.
Key details: Zone: D-1 Central Business District. Min. building height: 100 feet, no maximum. Design review trigger: Required over 100 feet. Governing chapter: SLC Code Ch. 21A.59. 200'+ towers: Need 1 of 5 public benefits.
Building without required design review approval, or exceeding height thresholds without meeting one of the five public-benefit options, blocks issuance of a building permit; the planning director or planning commission can deny or condition the design.
This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Salt Lake City actively enforces its downtown design guide requirements.
The Bottom Line
Salt Lake City's zoning overlays & bonuses rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Salt Lake City is broadly strict or permissive.
These rules come from Salt Lake City's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.