By Travis Barton | [email protected]

In an effort to help reduce water use by 25% prior to 2025, West Valley City Councilwoman Karen Lang proposed in a March 2 study meeting that all new developments to have a maximum of 30-35% of front yard be live plant material. 

The 25% reduction in water use is a state requirement, and after a presentation from city staff about its current localscape requirements, Lang wished to do more. 

“Some people would like to do this and be more environmentally friendly,” Lang said during the council meeting. 

Localscape is a concept that minimizes water use by implementing other means of landscaping such as trees, shrubbery or ornamental grass.

The current city code applies to all single-family homes and only applies to the front yards. Landscaping currently requires one tree and a combination of lawn, shrubs or groundcover. Groundcover may include vegetative vines, low-spreading shrubs, annual or perennial flowering, foliage plants, mineral or nonliving organic permeable material. It may not cover more than 50% of the “net landscaped area.” 

The front yard can have up to 40% of solid surface parking. Of the remaining 60%, only half of that is required to be plant landscaping, city officials explained during the meeting. 

“That 50% only ends up being 30% because of the driveway,” City Manager Wayne Pyle said during the meeting. 

If it sounds a little confusing, Lang agrees because she’s been hearing the confusion from residents.

City Manager Wayne Pyle explained that what Lang wanted was already in place with the 30-35% requirement in the front yard. However, Lang wanted to require all new developments have that as a maximum rather than a minimum. She also wanted to change the spray pattern for sprinkling systems to a drip or irrigation system. 

Lang noted that “to keep our water bills low” then the incentive is to “move this forward.” 

While certain councilmembers initially supported Lang’s proposal, after further discussion, several did not feel comfortable with the localscape maximum being a requirement rather than an option. For any proposal or request to move forward, at least four members of the seven-person council needs to be in favor. 

Councilman Steve Buhler said he supported the concept, and would be happy to encourage water-wise landscaping if that’s what residents wanted. But he felt it was too big of a change noting some people “still want a big lawn.” 

“People can decide how they want to spend their money,” Buhler said, adding if people decide they don’t want to pay a higher water bill, then they can adjust accordingly. 

Lang cautioned it would be more expensive to change at that point, and that if they didn’t do something, it could continue to create more expenses through other solutions, like paying to build a water treatment facility. 

“It’s really good for the environment,” she said. “And also so we don’t have to go build a dam in a canyon to block off water so we have enough.”