2006 Utah Code - 10-9a-305 — Other entities required to conform to municipality\'s land use ordinances -- Exceptions -- School districts and charter schools.

     10-9a-305.   Other entities required to conform to municipality's land use ordinances -- Exceptions -- School districts and charter schools.
     (1) (a) Each county, municipality, school district, charter school, special district, and political subdivision of the state shall conform to any applicable land use ordinance of any municipality when installing, constructing, operating, or otherwise using any area, land, or building situated within that municipality.
     (b) In addition to any other remedies provided by law, when a municipality's land use ordinances is violated or about to be violated by another political subdivision, that municipality may institute an injunction, mandamus, abatement, or other appropriate action or proceeding to prevent, enjoin, abate, or remove the improper installation, improvement, or use.
     (2) (a) Except as provided in Subsection (3), a school district or charter school is subject to a municipality's land use ordinances.
     (b) (i) Notwithstanding Subsection (3), a municipality may subject a charter school to standards within each zone pertaining to setback, height, bulk and massing regulations, off-site parking, curb cut, traffic circulation, and construction staging.
     (ii) The standards to which a municipality may subject a charter school under Subsection (2)(b)(i) shall be objective standards only and may not be subjective.
     (iii) Except as provided in Subsection (7)(d), the only basis upon which a municipality may deny or withhold approval of a charter school's land use application is the charter school's failure to comply with a standard imposed under Subsection (2)(b)(i).
     (iv) Nothing in Subsection (2)(b)(iii) may be construed to relieve a charter school of an obligation to comply with a requirement of an applicable building or safety code to which it is otherwise obligated to comply.
     (3) A municipality may not:
     (a) impose requirements for landscaping, fencing, aesthetic considerations, construction methods or materials, building codes, building use for educational purposes, or the placement or use of temporary classroom facilities on school property;
     (b) except as otherwise provided in this section, require a school district or charter school to participate in the cost of any roadway or sidewalk, or a study on the impact of a school on a roadway or sidewalk, that is not reasonably necessary for the safety of school children and not located on or contiguous to school property, unless the roadway or sidewalk is required to connect an otherwise isolated school site to an existing roadway;
     (c) require a district or charter school to pay fees not authorized by this section;
     (d) provide for inspection of school construction or assess a fee or other charges for inspection, unless the school district or charter school is unable to provide for inspection by an inspector, other than the project architect or contractor, who is qualified under criteria established by the state superintendent;
     (e) require a school district or charter school to pay any impact fee for an improvement project that is not reasonably related to the impact of the project upon the need that the improvement is to address; or
     (f) impose regulations upon the location of a project except as necessary to avoid unreasonable risks to health or safety.
     (4) Subject to Section 53A-20-108, a school district or charter school shall coordinate the siting of a new school with the municipality in which the school is to be located, to:
     (a) avoid or mitigate existing and potential traffic hazards, including consideration of the

impacts between the new school and future highways; and
     (b) to maximize school, student, and site safety.
     (5) Notwithstanding Subsection (3)(d), a municipality may, at its discretion:
     (a) provide a walk-through of school construction at no cost and at a time convenient to the district or charter school; and
     (b) provide recommendations based upon the walk-through.
     (6) (a) Notwithstanding Subsection (3)(d), a school district or charter school shall use:
     (i) a municipal building inspector;
     (ii) a school district building inspector; or
     (iii) an independent, certified building inspector who is:
     (A) not an employee of the contractor;
     (B) approved by a municipal building inspector or a school district building inspector; and
     (C) licensed to perform the inspection that the inspector is requested to perform.
     (b) The approval under Subsection (6)(a)(iii)(B) may not be unreasonably withheld.
     (c) If a school district or charter school uses an independent building inspector under Subsection (6)(a)(iii), the school district or charter school shall submit to the state superintendent of public instruction, on a monthly basis during construction of the school building, a copy of each inspection certificate regarding the school building.
     (7) (a) A charter school shall be considered a permitted use in all zoning districts within a municipality.
     (b) Each land use application for any approval required for a charter school, including an application for a building permit, shall be processed on a first priority basis.
     (c) Parking requirements for a charter school may not exceed the minimum parking requirements for schools or other institutional public uses throughout the municipality.
     (d) If a municipality has designated zones for a sexually oriented business, or a business which sells alcohol, a charter school may be prohibited from a location which would otherwise defeat the purpose for the zone unless the charter school provides a waiver.
     (e) (i) A school district or a charter school may seek a certificate authorizing permanent occupancy of a school building from:
     (A) the state superintendent of public instruction, as provided in Subsection 53A-20-104(3), if the school district or charter school used an independent building inspector for inspection of the school building; or
     (B) a municipal official with authority to issue the certificate, if the school district or charter school used a municipal building inspector for inspection of the school building.
     (ii) A school district may issue its own certificate authorizing permanent occupancy of a school building if it used its own building inspector for inspection of the school building, subject to the notification requirement of Subsection 53A-20-104(3)(a)(ii).
     (iii) A charter school may seek a certificate authorizing permanent occupancy of a school building from a school district official with authority to issue the certificate, if the charter school used a school district building inspector for inspection of the school building.
     (iv) A certificate authorizing permanent occupancy issued by the state superintendent of public instruction under Subsection 53A-20-104(3) or a school district official with authority to issue the certificate shall be considered to satisfy any municipal requirement for an inspection or a certificate of occupancy.

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Amended by Chapter 364, 2006 General Session