Hey everyone! Welcome back to another week of news here on Summit in Six! We have some big updates to share about future districting for county council seats, a recap of proposals to develop the Cline-Dahle property, and a preview of Pride Month and the upcoming weed tour.
Alright, let’s get into the news!
TOPIC 1: County Council Districting Commission
Summit County Council voted 4-1, with Roger Armstrong opposed, to adopt new code establishing a commission to create voting districts for council seats. The new code complies with the requirements of House Bill 356: a state law passed in the last legislative session that requires Summit County to move away from its at-large council system.
According to the new code, the commission will be authorized to divide Summit County into five voting districts. Some rules governing the composition of each district are as follows:
- There can’t be more than a 10% total population difference between districts
- Each district must be contiguous and reasonably compact
- District boundaries cannot divide existing voter precincts (meaning cities/towns will not be carved up into separate districts)
- The districts will abide by tenets of the United States Constitution
The commission will be made up of every Summit County mayor (or resident of their municipality they appoint) plus one representative living in the unincorporated areas of the county and the county clerk (who does not vote on decisions). Because the community of Hideout has land in Summit County, that means they will have a representative serving on the commission in addition to the six other municipalities.
After voting to adopt the new code, the county council then made their appointment for the representative for unincorporated Summit County. The council again voted 4-1 (Armstrong opposing) to select Malena Stevens as the representative and — by virtue of the new code — chair of the districting commission.
The new commission will meet in the coming months to review district proposals. They must present a proposed map of district boundaries by October 1, and presumably conclude their work by the time the commission is “sunset” on June 1, 2026.
If you would like to read the full text of the new county code to better understand the districting process and timeline, check the link in our show notes.
TOPIC 2: Cline Dahle Proposals
The bulk of the time from Wednesday’s council meeting was dedicated to hearing proposals from six development companies interested in the 30 acres of county-owned land known as the Cline Dahle property.
Acquired in 2017 by then-county manager Tom Fisher, the property is located along Rasmussen Road between Jeremy Ranch Elementary and the Summit Center Commerce Park. Along with a project summary detailing the proposed number of and makeup of residential units, the developers were asked to address 13 neighborhood elements outlined in the request for proposal.
These 13 elements include, among other things, natural feature preservation, scenic views, parks, accessibility, housing for diverse incomes, housing variety, and unique design elements. So, how did the various proposals stack up against one another?
In terms of land use, all proposals allotted at least 9 acres to open space, with Columbus Pacific (21.8 acres), Layton Legacy Jeremy Village (21.5 acres), and Brinshore and GTS Development (19.5 acres) designating the most to natural features.
For affordable housing, two of the proposals offered a 100% affordable housing mix: the Brinshore/GTS Development team and Layton Legacy. The remaining four ranged from 94% (Columbus Pacific) affordable housing all the way to around 23% affordable (Evergreen Devco). The total number of residential units varied widely:
- Brinshore/GTS Development: 146 units
- Crandall Capital: 286 units
- Columbus Pacific: 172 units
- Evergreen Devco: 211 units
- JF Development Group: 200 units
- Layton Legacy: 200 units
Finally, estimates for the proposed cost and finance structure differed based on a laundry list of factors. Some developers suggested soft loans from the county to facilitate more affordable housing. Some planned a lease model to pay the county over time for use of the land, while others offered a flat price to purchase the land outright.
No final decision was reached nor was any developer given any indication that their proposal was favored over the others. The council will have time to consider the various benefits and consequences of each proposal and return at a later date with follow-up questions and/or decisions.
To see the various proposal documents and watch the development representatives make their case, you can watch a recording of the council meeting in full at summitcounty.info/meetings.
TOPIC 3: Pride Month
During this week’s council meeting, Summit Pride representative Virginia Solomon appeared before council to request that they renew a proclamation declaring June as Pride Month. Here is an excerpt from the proclamation which was approved by Council:
“Pride Month is a reminder of how much we have to celebrate, and should prompt us to never let up in our efforts to ensure full equality, inclusion, and empowerment for every member of our LGBTQ+ community, and all communities.
LGBTQ+ Pride month is the positive stance against discrimination and violence toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, plus (LGBTQ+) people; promotes their self-affirmation, dignity, and equality rights; increases their visibility as a social group; builds community; and celebrates sexual diversity and gender variance.
Summit County is committed to learning how to advance inclusion for LGBTQ+ residents by creating and supporting policies and programs that stand against discrimination and by promoting equality and opportunity for all members of the LGBTQ+ community.”
Solomon also invited council members and the community to attend the kick off march and party on June 1. The council voted unanimously to accept the proclamation. Visit summitpride.org for upcoming events information related to Pride Month.
TOPIC 4: Community Noxious Weeds Tour
Summit County’s Weeds Division is hosting a Community Noxious Weeds Tour on Saturday, June 7, from 9 AM to 12 PM to educate residents on the “most-wanted” weeds here in Summit County.
Residents will meet Dave Bingham, Weed Superintendent, Dan Pena, Weed Enforcement Officer, and some other special guests at Richardson Flat Park and Ride to learn to identify and control noxious weeds on their own properties.
Please RSVP FOR FREE at summitcounty.info/weedstour25 to let us know you’re coming. Gloves are suggested, but not required.
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