OGDEN — With several older hotels and motels throughout the city losing suitability as short-term lodging, city administration is proposing an amendment to the zoning ordinance allowing for standards to be established in converting the establishments into multi-family housing.

City staff, having received multiple proposals, are concerned conversions may result in undesirable living conditions while creating social issues.

City officials, along with the Planning Commission, are suggesting any conversions be a mix of incomes and household types with full kitchens, attractive architectural design and 24-hour on-site management for facilities with 16 or more rooms.

According to Ogden City Planning Manager Barton Brierley, the city does not want to keep hotel and property owners from creating apartments as housing needs remain high.

Standards for multi-family dwellings under the ordinance include a total floor area of at-least 300 square feet for a one bedroom and 450 square feet for a required 10% of the units with two or more bedrooms.

Brierley said the city’s concern stems from issues and activities associated with short-term rentals. There is concern from the city that if more permanent housing is put in place of low-end hotels and motels without an ordinance to guide such developments, unsafe and undesirable conditions may follow.

“Low-income housing does not create any sort of issues, what creates issues is concentrations of poverty,” Brierley said.

By enforcing a range of unit sizes with different rent costs, planning commission members believe it will concentration of poverty will be lessened.

Brierley addressed queries from Ogden City Council members over the loss of short-term rentals to long-term housing, saying the need is being filled locations off of the interstate, and they do not foresee the loss causing an issue.

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