St. George, UT Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Density Bonus Law (2026)
Key Facts
- Base transfer ratio
- 1:1 on slopes ≤20%
- 21-30% slope bonus
- +1 unit per unit transferred
- 31-40% slope bonus
- +2 units per unit transferred
- Slopes over 40%
- cannot be disturbed
- Approval body
- Planning Commission, City Council
Summary
St. George grants bonus density units in the Hillside Development Overlay Zone when developers transfer density off steep slopes onto flatter, safer portions of a site.
F. The applicant may: ...2. Develop additional bonus density, calculated from each slope category, as follows: a. Natural slopes twenty percent (20%) or less transferred on a one-to-one (1:1) unit basis; plus b. One (1) additional density unit for each density unit transferred from natural slopes of twenty-one percent (21%) to thirty percent (30%); plus c. Two (2) additional density units for each density unit transferred from natural slopes of thirty-one percent (31%) to forty percent (40%).
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-062, passed August 6, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Under the Hillside Development Overlay Zone, St. George lets developers transfer all development density from steep slope categories (sending areas) onto areas of a site with natural slopes of 20% or less (receiving areas). Transfers earn bonus units: a 1:1 unit basis for the base 20%-or-less slope, plus one extra unit per unit transferred from 21-30% slopes, and two extra units per unit transferred from 31-40% slopes. Slopes over 40% cannot be disturbed at all, and the receiving area's other zoning standards (lot size, use) still apply even though density may exceed the underlying zone's normal cap.
Violations & Fines
Building on undisturbed slope categories beyond the disturbance caps, or claiming bonus density without an approved HDOZ permit from the planning commission and city council, blocks or voids project approval.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a St. George hillside developer build more units than the zone normally allows?
Does the density bonus apply outside the Hillside Development Overlay Zone?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. George
Compare St. George to another location·View the Utah zoning overlays & bonuses overview
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