April 2022 | Vol. 02 Iss. 04
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Bountiful/West Bountiful
YOUR C O M M U N I T Y N E WS PA P E R
LIVING ON THE EDGE:
HOMES ON THE HILLSIDES OF DAVIS COUNTY By Tom Haraldsen | tom.h@davisjournal.com
Byline
I
f you’ve ever dreamed of sitting in your living room or on a back porch enjoying unobstructed vistas and panoramic views, far away from society, you’re not alone. Cliff homes – homes built on mountainsides near naturally-made drop offs – date back centuries and were once built for security and protection from enemies. They are as popular today as ever, especially in Davis County along the Wasatch Front. Back in 2003, the county’s Council of Governments created a comprehensive hillside master plan in anticipation of future growth and development along the east bench. However, when reality sets in for those who want to build or have a home built on the top of a cliff, the design and construction considerations that involve engineering and architecture can be daunting, and very expensive. Four main elements to remember when planning such a structure – topography, the combination of logistics, zoning and permits; solid ground, and protection from the elements. Communities along the hillsides in Davis County take all of those into consideration when permission is sought to build these homes for those who like living on the edge. “There are a lot of geotechnical sign offs involved,” said Linda Horrocks, communication coordinator for the City of North Salt Lake, a community with lots of homes on tops of hillsides. “Those involve soils, grades of the streets, and many geographic elements Continued page 4 Development along the hillsides in Davis County continues to increase, even with a myriad of restrictions in place that add to the expenses of new homes. Photo by Roger V. Tuttle
W E A R E C O M M U N I T Y … W E A R E DAV I S C O U N T Y
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