Redevelopment plans are in progress to better integrate Outlets Park City into the Kimball Junction area with a focus on building workforce housing and improving community spaces. Similar efforts to blend residential, retail and restaurant options are proposed on the eastern end of the Snyderville Basin with a Marketplace concept in Silver Summit, and the idea for Crossroads at Silver Creek could bring a grocery store or child care center to the community.
Summit County must also consider the 125 acres on the F.J. Gillmor parcel along the U.S. 40 corridor that have been earmarked for future civic uses like a public works building, senior center or recycling facility; the conversations with Dakota Pacific Real Estate regarding a potential public-private partnership for a new transit center and town plaza near the Richins Building; and the possibility of a mixed-use development on the Cline Dahle site in Jeremy Ranch.
Depending on the project, those involved will spend hours laboring over the details of an application before deciding whether to grant conditional-use permits, plat amendments, rezone requests and master-planned development agreements — and the Planning Department warned they’re expecting an increased workload with more complex, significant projects being proposed on the West Side.
Staff have emphasized the need for careful coordination between the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission and the Summit County Council. This coordination is crucial to balance development with community identity, adhering to local regulations and managing staff’s time.
“What we’ve found at the staff level is that some of these conditional use permit applications have become a lot more ambitious of late. Applicants are reaching out for more, and it involves a lot more analysis and a lot more involvement from the Planning Commission,” said Community Development Director Peter Barnes. “We’ve seen that lately on the amount of time that’s being spent on some applications. Some of which will have far more reaching consequences, I think.”
Planning Department staff hosted a joint meeting between the County Council and Planning Commission on Wednesday, the first since October 2023, to touch base with representatives and ensure both panels are on the same page when it comes to the future vision of Summit County.
Barnes affirmed planners are meeting all deadlines established by the Utah Legislature when it comes to the approval process. However, he expects that will become “significantly more impossible in the near future” as the volume increases and more departments are needed to coordinate on projects.
“It’s going to touch every tool in our toolbox and it’s going to involve an intense amount of work from a lot of people,” Barnes said. It will only worsen as officials prepare for the 2034 Winter Olympics.
Part of the problem is that applicants have been trying to develop in a way that wasn’t anticipated by the current codes. Therefore, projects have become larger and more intricate, requiring additional work from county staff and greater involvement from planning commissioners, who are volunteers.
Planning Commission Chair Chris Conabee cited flaws or gaps in the code that have created frequent issues with applications for major accessory buildings that are being used for commercial or private recreation facilities, and projects that don’t quite seem to align with the neighborhood dynamics.
Three such ideas were proposed during the Planning Commission meeting on Tuesday night.
Members must approve projects that apply with county code. Conabee said the issue is then handed down to enforcement staff to ensure the properties are in compliance.
He also advocated for alternative modes of transportation such as walking or biking to be better integrated into planning efforts or the code. Conabee said sidewalks should be linked and development near the Rail Trail should be required to create meaningful connections.
The pressure is mostly at the staff level right now, but several pivotal projects on the horizon will impact life in the Snyderville Basin. Each is expected to bring dozens of new people and cars to the community.
The County Council acknowledged the Planning Commission’s hard work and dedication. They also stressed the importance of keeping Summit County residents’ values and needs in mind as planning efforts proceed.
County Councilor Roger Armstrong said the vision is enshrined in the general plan and development code. He was concerned the Park City area is becoming too crowded on roads and trails, cautioning planning commissioners to be careful not to continue adding growth.
“What do we want to become? …. I hope this place looks more like it looked when I came in than it does with just packing in as many human beings as we can,” Armstrong said. “I would ask you as you guys go through whatever this visioning process is, whatever the general plan process is, to remember who we are and what we can reasonably accomplish without compromising and destroying who we are.”
Canice Harte, a county councilor and former planning commissioner, urged planners to parse through what does and doesn’t make sense for each neighborhood.
Each planning commission is responsible for preparing the general plan and deciding on conditional uses, long-term temporary uses and subdivisions as well as making recommendations regarding the zoning map and amendments to the development code. The County Council is the legislative branch of the government with the final say on land use planning and development.
Officials didn’t make any decisions this week. The conversation was intended to guide planning efforts moving forward. The Snyderville Basin Planning Commission meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month to discuss the latest applications.