Ordinance 02-04-2026 - An Ordinance Amending Santaquin City Code to Clarify Retaining Wall Measurements
Notice Type(s)
Notice
Event Start Date & Time
February 4, 2026 05:00 PM
Description/Agenda
ORDINANCE NO. 02-04-2026
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SANTAQUIN CITY CODE TO CLARIFY THAT
RETAINING WALL MEASUREMENTS BE FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE FOOTING
TO THE TOP OF THE WALL, PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION, CORRECTION OF
SCRIVENER'S ERRORS, SEVERABILITY, AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE FOR THE
ORDINANCE.
WHEREAS, the City of Santaquin is a fourth-class city of the state of Utah; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has specific authority pursuant to Title 10, Chapter 9a Utah Code
Ann. (1953 as amended) to adopt a zoning plan including an ordinance and map which divide the
municipality into districts or zones and within such districts to regulate the erection, construction,
reconstruction, alteration, repair and uses of buildings and structures and the uses of land; and
WHEREAS, the state legislature has granted general welfare power to the City Council,
independent, apart from, and in addition to, its specific grants of legislative authority, which
enables the city to pass ordinances which are reasonably and appropriately related to the objectives
of that power, i.e. providing for the public safety, health, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to amend Santaquin City Code Title 10, Chapter 16, Section
260; Title 10 Chapter 20, Section 120; and Title 10, Chapter 20, Section 230 to amend retaining
walls measurement requirements to be consistent with Utah State Code 19.95.100; and
WHEREAS, the Santaquin City Planning Commission held a public hearing on January 27, 2026,
which hearing was preceded by the posting of public notice in at least three public places within
the City limits of Santaquin City; and
WHEREAS, after the noted public hearing, the Santaquin City Planning Commission forwarded
a recommendation to the City Council.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of Santaquin City, State of Utah,
as follows:
Section I. Amendments
Title 10 Chapter 16 Section 260 is amended as follows: (underlined text is added, stricken text is deleted)
10.16.260 FENCES, WALLS, AND HEDGES
B. Retaining Walls: All retaining walls of four feet (4') in height or greater, from
finished grade bottom of the footing to top of the wall, are to be approved by the
city and shall be designed, drawn, and the plans stamped by an engineer licensed
to work in the state of Utah. In the event fencing is to be placed on top of a retaining
wall, the height of the fence shall be measured from finished grade along the side
of the retaining wall where earth is being retained.
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Title 10 Chapter 20 Section 120 is amended as follows: (underlined text is added, stricken text is deleted)
10.20.120 COMMERCIAL ZONES
F. Site Standards: In general, buildings should be located so as to be visible from
major roadways and entries, to provide clear orientation and access for vehicular
and pedestrian traffic alike. Likewise, structures should be located in
consideration of the existing built context, the location of adjoining uses, and the
location of major roadways. Appropriately located pedestrian courtyards,
common gathering areas and accessible, well landscaped environments that
encourage pedestrian movement both within the new commercial development
and among adjacent land uses are encouraged.
1. Lot Standards: No minimum lot area and width standards are specified for
parcels within commercial zones, except that an area sufficient to
accommodate building location requirements, off street parking, loading
and unloading, and vehicular access shall be provided and maintained by
the owner.
2. Building Location Standards: The following standards shall apply to
structure locations within the respective commercial zones.
a. Submittal Of Plan: Where a development is to be completed in
phases and with multiple buildings, a plan showing the overall
commercial development, including all building and improvement
locations must be submitted to the planning commission for
concept review and approval prior to any site plan approvals for an
individual building site or location. Construction of buildings on
pad sites may not commence until construction has begun on the
major anchor tenants of the property, without architectural review
committee approval.
b. Setback Requirements:
C-1 PO
Front setbacks:
From primary public frontage to
building/ parking 10/10 20/10
From secondary public frontage
to building/ parking1 10/10 20/10
From private frontage 0 10
Side setbacks2
:
Minimum from adjacent property
to building/ parking
0 or 10'/0
if shared
or 5'
10' plus
5' per
building
stories
above If side abuts a residential zone 15'
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1/5'
Minimum from private
street/drive aisle curb 10' 10'
Rear setbacks:
Minimum from adjacent property
to building/ parking
10'/0 if
shared or
5'
20/5
If rear abuts a residential zone 15' 20'
Minimum from private
street/drive aisle curb 10' 10'
Notes:
1 Secondary frontage shall be the frontage on the lower classification of road
if the development fronts onto 2 streets of differing classification. Where both
fronted streets are equally classified, the secondary frontage shall be the street
with lower traffic volumes.
2 Commercial buildings may be designed and constructed to be conjoined or
share a common wall along a side or rear property line, with a neighboring
commercial building if the adjoining building is planned as a part of the same
commercial development or plan, whether or not in subsequent phases and as
long as all other applicable standards are still met. If no wall is to be shared
along the side or rear property lines, then the greater setback shall be required.
c. Accessory Structures: Accessory structures (e.g., trash enclosures,
storage buildings, etc.) may not be located in required front yard
setback or landscape yard areas and must comply with all
applicable landscape requirements found within SCC 10.52.050.
Trash
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enclosures shall be located so as to minimize disturbance to
adjacent residential development.
3. Grading Standards: Site planning must take into consideration the existing grade
and slope of the site. Grading of property should be sensitive to and compatible
with surrounding properties and public streets. Commercial properties adjacent to
existing or future residential properties will be restricted in raising or cutting the
elevation of the commercial site near property lines unless approved by the city
with appropriate buffering measures.
a. The use of landscaped, sloped areas is usually preferable to retaining walls.
The use of terraced parking lots, stepped building pads, retaining walls and
larger setbacks may be necessary to achieve this.
b. Retaining wall heights are limited to a maximum height of four feet (4')
measured from the highest point of grade the bottom of the footing to the top
of the wall, unless otherwise authorized by the architectural review
committee. Cast in place concrete walls may not be utilized for retaining
purposes unless a decorative stone or other approved veneer material and/or
elements will be placed on the visible portions of the wall.
Title 10 Chapter 20 Section 230 is amended as follows: (underlined text is added, stricken text is deleted)
10.20.230 HILLSIDE DEVELOPMENT OVERLAY ZONE
H. Cuts And Fills: The following standards shall be met when designing street layouts,
subdivision improvements, presale lot grading and home construction plans:
1. Slopes: Slopes caused by either an excavation or fill shall not be steeper
than one vertical to two horizontal (1:2). Slopes shall not be steeper than
one vertical to four horizontal (1:4) within fifteen feet (15') of abutting
dwelling lot property lines unless a developer provided retaining wall is
installed consistent with the retaining wall standards outlined below.
2. Permanent Fill: Permanent fill shall be located so that settlement or
erosion shall not damage or cover any street, curb, gutter, sidewalk, or
building.
3. Standards: All fill and degrees of compaction shall comply with the
standards established by the city engineer in accordance with applicable
codes and standards adopted by the city.
4. Water Diversion: Water diversion systems shall be installed to channel
water runoff away from cut or fill slopes and retaining walls. Protection of
such systems is to be noted on any development plats.
5. Slope Edges: The top or bottom edges of slopes caused by an excavation
or fill up to ten (10) vertical feet shall be at one vertical to three (3)
horizontal feet for a distance of six feet (6') from the property line and/or
street right of way lines. Cut and/or fills greater than ten (10) vertical feet
shall be set back an appropriate distance as determined by the city
engineer.
6. Vertical Height: The maximum vertical height of any nonretained cut or
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fill slope exceeding one vertical to three horizontal (1:3) shall be ten feet
(10').
7. Setback: Any structure, except a retaining wall or soil stabilization
improvement, shall have a setback from the crest/base of a cut or fill a
minimum distance equal to the depth of the fill or the height of the cut,
unless an engineered retaining wall is built for the cut or fill slope.
Retaining walls may be a part of a dwelling unit.
8. Nonretained Slope: The distance from any structure to the toe of a natural
or development caused nonretained slope shall be at least the height of the
slope divided by two (H/2), up to fifteen feet (15').
9. Retaining Walls:
a. Required: Retaining walls shall be required in any area of
disturbance where the grade exceeds a 2.5:1 slope.
b. Design; Approval: Any retaining wall that is four feet (4') in height
or taller shall be designed by a licensed engineer and approved by
the city building official in accordance with applicable codes
adopted by the city.
c. Wall Heights: Retaining wall heights shall be measured from the
bottom of the foundation of the wall footing to the top of the wall
vertically above the bottom point of measurement. No retaining
wall shall exceed ten feet (10') in height.
Section II. Severability
If any part of this ordinance or the application thereof to any person or circumstances shall, for
any reason, be adjudged by a court of competent jurisdiction to be unconstitutional or invalid, such
judgment shall not affect, impair of invalidate the remainder of this ordinance or the application
thereof to other persons and circumstances, but shall be confined to its operation to the section,
subdivision, sentence or part of the section and the persons and circumstances directly involved in
the controversy in which such judgment shall have been rendered. It is hereby declared to be the
intent of the City Council that this section would have been adopted if such invalid section,
provisions, subdivision, sentence or part of a section or application had not been included.
Section III. Contrary Provisions Repealed
Any and all other provisions of the Santaquin City Code that are contrary to the provisions of this Ordinance
are hereby repealed.
Section IV. Codification, Inclusion in the Code, and Scrivener's Errors
It is the intent of the City Council that the provisions of this ordinance be made part of the Santaquin City
Code as adopted, that sections of this ordinance may be re-numbered or re-lettered, and that the word
ordinance may be changed to section, chapter, or other such appropriate word or phrase in order to
accomplish such intent regardless of whether such inclusion in a code is accomplished. Typographical errors
which do not affect the intent of this ordinance may be authorized by the City without need of public hearing
by its filing a corrected or re-codified copy of the same with the City Recorder.
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Section V. Posting and Effective Date
This ordinance shall become effective at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 4th, 2026. Prior to that time,
the City Recorder shall deposit a copy of this ordinance in the official records of the City and place a copy
of this ordinance in three places within the City.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 3rd day of February 2026
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