The Alta Town Council passed Ordinance 2026-O-19, amending the town code to establish regulations for compact hotel facilities and update certain development standards in Zone C. The ordinance, which went into effect November 13, 2026, was approved following several reviews by the council.
The new ordinance introduces a formal definition for a compact hotel facility, described as a small hotel located only within Zone C of the Base Facilities Zone. These facilities are limited to no more than eight guestrooms, excluding employee living accommodations, and must follow density regulations. While guestrooms may include provisions for cooking for guest use, they are not considered a residential use and cannot be sold individually. These facilities are restricted to nightly rentals for periods of less than thirty days.
Under the amended code, compact hotel facilities are an additional permitted use specifically for Zone C. These facilities must include an accessory retail commercial service. If the accessory use occupies 400 square feet or less, no additional parking is required for that use within the same structure, though the Town Council may waive parking requirements for larger accessory uses after a public hearing.
The ordinance also provides a limited exception for minimum lot area and lot width standards for specific parcels in Zone C. Any lot or parcel in Zone C that existed as a separate legal lot or parcel prior to January 1, 2025, and has not been subdivided or modified since that date, will be deemed to meet the minimum lot area and width requirements for development applications. This applies even if the net developable area is less than one acre or the width is less than 100 feet, though the slope requirement remains unchanged.
The amendments were prompted by a petition from Shallow Shaft, LLC and Walter Krebsbach concerning the Shallow Shaft property in the Base Facilities Zone. The Town Planning Commission recommended the proposed amendments with a neutral recommendation following a public hearing held March 25, 2026. The Town Council reviewed the request on May 13, 2026, August 12, 2026, and September 9, 2026, before holding a public hearing on November 10, 2026.
The ordinance was passed and adopted by the Alta Town Council with the following votes: Mayor Bourke voted yes, Council Member Anctil voted yes, Council Member Schilling voted no, Council Member Morgan voted yes, and Council Member Heimark voted yes.
