Hello everyone! Welcome to another week of news here on Summit in Six. We hope you are enjoying the sunshine and crisp air while it’s here. Today we cover an update regarding the Cedar Crest Village Overlay, some history in Summit County and some community engagement opportunities our listeners may be interested in.

CEDAR CREST VILLAGE OVERLAY:
Mark your calendars! On Thursday, April 18 beginning at 6 PM at the Ledges Event Center in Coalville, the Eastern Summit County Planning Commission will meet for a work session and public comment period related to the Cedar Crest Village Overlay. A virtual option for this meeting is also available and can be found, along with a lot more information about the project, at: summitcounty.info/cedarcrest 

ROAD SAFETY OPEN HOUSE:
Did you know? Mountainland Association of Governments is working closely with city and county leaders to develop a Safety Action Plan and roadway safety projects to reduce the number fatal and serious injury crashes in Summit County.

On Tuesday, April 16 from 4:30 – 6:30 PM at the Sheldon Richins Auditorium in Kimball Jct., they are hosting a Roadway Safety Open House to share information about where in our community the greatest number of crashes take place, what’s causing them, and how Mountainlands Association of Governments and our local leaders plan to lower the number and impact of serious and fatal crashes in Summit County.

The agency’s Safety Action Plan is part of a national grant project giving $5 billion in funds to communities for projects that improve transportation safety. So far, the plan has identified “high injury” networks where numbers of serious and fatal crashes are greatest and developed a potential list of projects that will improve conditions in these areas. Once the plan is complete this spring, Mountainlands or local governments may apply for funds to build the identified projects.

Visit their website to learn more about the project and how you can get involved: www.mountainland.org. 

TRAILS TRASH TUNES EVENT ON MAY 11!
The Summit County Stormwater Coalition and the Summit County Planning Department are presenting the THIRD Annual “Trails, Trash and Tunes” event on Saturday, May 11th from 12pm – 4pm at the Wanship Trailhead (1975 Hoytsville Rd). The purpose of the event is to welcome in springtime and celebrate the Earth with some rail trail cleanup, education about stormwater, noxious weeds identification and more!

There will be LIVE music from Pixie and the Partygrass Boys, presented by Mountaintown Music.  There will be food for purchase, a beer garden with brews for sale by local brewery Offset Bier for the 21+ crowd, a “Kids Corner” for the younger ones thanks to the Summit County Library with activities such as coloring, books and games.

Registration is free and not required to attend, but we would like to know who is coming! Please register at: summitcounty.info/trailstrashtunes24

The event is sponsored in part by Big-D construction and Blue Sky Ranch. We are encouraging event goers to bring water and an umbrella or hat for shade. We will have some seating available, but picnic blankets, camp chairs are welcome. Carpooling and biking/e-biking to the venue is highly encouraged.

HISTORY SEGMENT
This episode, we wanted to share some history in honor of National Garden Month about the old Echo Depot that once served as an agricultural and community railway hub. Outside the Echo Depot it is said that Mike Tsoukatos, a railroad employee and native of Greece, designed and planted this garden in the early 1940s. Tsoukatos spent his own money to purchase the plants and flowers. After his retirement, unfortunately the spectacular   garden fell into disrepair. The Echo Depot was moved to Coalville in 1975 where it now serves as the North Summit Senior Center.

HEALTHY FOCUS ON GARDEN MONTH

What better way to celebrate the beauty of spring than by diving into National Garden Month! National Garden Month encourages people of all ages to dig in the dirt, connect with nature, and experience the joy of gardening. But National Garden Month is about more than just growing plants—it’s about fostering a deeper connection to the natural world and reaping the countless benefits that gardening brings. Research shows that spending time outdoors and engaging in gardening activities can reduce stress, boost mood, and improve overall well-being. Plus, growing your own fruits, vegetables, and herbs empowers you to make healthier food choices and reduces your carbon footprint. For some helpful gardening tips this month follow the Summit County Health social media @SummitCountyHD on instagram and Facebook.

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In today’s episode, we cover Summit County’s revised proposal to Dakota Pacific Real Estate, an upcoming Rocky Mountain Power Outage, a Zero Food Waste Compact the County signed this week, and International Dark Skies Week. Alright, let’s get into the news!

> DPRE REVISED PROPOSAL

On Thursday, April 4, Summit County presented Dakota Pacific Real Estate, or DPRE, with a counterproposal to DPRE’s request to modify the development agreement that governs the land commonly referred to as the Park City Tech Center.

Highlights of the revised proposal include: 

• 600 residential units which is an increase from the county’s proposal of 500 units earlier this year, but a decrease of DPRE’s proposed 695 units. 
• A public-private partnership between the county and DPRE that would include a civic plaza, transit center, parking, and more.

You can view the entire revised proposal on the homepage at summitcounty.org under the news item titled: Summit County’s Revised Proposal to Dakota Pacific Real Estate.

So what happens next? DPRE will take time to formally react to the counterproposal. No date has been set for another work session. Stay tuned on summitcounty.org and @summitcountyut on all social media channels for more information as it becomes available.

> RMP OUTAGE
Rocky Mountain Power is conducting a scheduled power outage Wednesday, April 10, 2024 from 8am to 6pm. The estimated duration is 10 hours.

• What neighborhoods are affected?
  All of Summit County Service Area 3 + their constituents + businesses and all of Tollgate and Red Hawk (minus the east creek ranch HOA). You can view a detailed map of the affected areas at: bit.ly/aprilpoweroutage.
• So, what exactly is being done?
  Rocky Mountain Power poles have been relocated on Mammoth Drive. Now that they have been installed, the company needs to transfer the power to these new lines and they estimate it will take 10 hours to complete the task.
• And, how do affected residents prepare?
  Rocky Mountain Power has organized some awesome tips on how to prepare for power outages at bit.ly/poweroutagetips2024.

> ZERO WASTE FOOD COMPACT
At this week’s Council meeting, the County was the first to sign a Zero Food Waste Compact presented by the Park City Community Foundation.

For some context, the Park City Community Foundation announced a goal to achieve Zero Food Waste by 2030 last April. They’ve since released a comprehensive strategic plan that serves as a roadmap for reaching that ambitious goal. The plan focuses on three main objectives and outlines steps to engage businesses, local governments, nonprofits, residents, and visitors in an effort to reduce food waste and divert food waste from Summit County’s Three Mile Landfill.

Summit County’s Solid Waste Superintendent, Tim Loveday, said of the compact:
“I’m excited about this because we have a third party now who is focused on doing something to divert from our landfill which saves money for every resident in the county. Food waste is over 30% volume of what’s going in that landfill so that’s a pretty significant piece that we can divert. What’s also really exciting is that there is no new technology involved. The technology is already there, already in place, there’s nothing experimental about this. This can actually work.”

Andy Hecht, PCF’s Climate Fund Manager, noted in the presentation that these efforts could save $1.47 million per year. If you’d like to read the Zero Food Waste Compact, please visit: summitcounty.info/zerofoodwaste.

> INTERNATIONAL DARK SKIES WEEK
Also at this week’s County Council meeting, the Summit County Council approved a proclamation declaring April 2nd to 8th as, “International Dark Sky Week”. The purpose of the proclamation is to promote International Dark Sky Week as a worldwide celebration to build awareness about light pollution and the importance of preserving the nighttime sky.

To help save Summit County’s night sky, all outdoor light bulbs in Park City Municipal and unincorporated Summit County must be 3,000 degrees Kelvin or less, and all outdoor lighting fixtures must be fully shielded and down-directed by December 31, 2024.

Wondering what all those fancy dark sky-compliant words and phrases mean? Visit: summitcounty.info/darkskies to see examples that help illustrate!

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TODAY WE COVER…

• Number of committee appointments
• Election Updates
• Rail Trail Corridor Plan
• Third annual Trails Trash and Tunes

Committee Appointments

During this week’s council meeting, there were a number of appointments to various committees:

• Congratulations to Stacey Keahon who will serve on the Recreation Arts and Parks Advisory Committee until 2025.
• Cheers to Don Sargeant and Alex Peterson for their reappointment to the Eastern Summit County Planning commission–their terms expire in 2027. 
• Tiane Mooney was reappointed and Matt Nagie was appointed for his first term Snyderville Basin Planning Commission. 

Congratulations to everyone. Summit County appreciates your dedication and service.

Legislative Session Highlights

Deputy County Manager, Janna Young, appeared before Council this week to recap the 2024 Utah State Legislature General Session and highlight bills signed by the Governor that impact Summit County residents or require some type of action from the County.

We won’t go in-depth this week, because next week, we’ll have Janna on for a special episode of Summit in Six covering the 2024 General Session in-depth. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, you can browse her presentation at the link in our show notes.

Elections Updates

During the Summit County Democratic nominating convention on Tuesday night, current councilmembers Roger Armstrong and Tonja Hanson won the nominations for council seats “A” and “B”. That leaves candidates Megan McKenna and Thomas Cooke vying for seat “C”. Voters will be able to choose between these two seat “C” candidates during the June 25 primary election.

Keep in mind that a new law is taking effect in May that allows unaffiliated candidates to get on the November ballot by gathering signatures, so there may be write-in candidates. As of right now, the following individuals do not have Republican challengers…Frank Smith is the democratic nominee for sheriff, Greg Wolbach for recorder, Stephanie Poll for assessor and Corie Forsling for treasurer.

The Summit County Republican Nominating Convention is Tuesday, April 2 and will also be held at Ecker Hill Middle School.

Rail Trail Award

Summit County has been selected as a recipient of the 2024 Vernon Deines Award, presented by the American Planning Association (APA), for the county’s Union Pacific Rail Trail Corridor Plan. The Vernon Deines award is presented annually to recognize outstanding individuals and projects for their contribution to planning excellence in small towns and rural communities. 

The Rail Trail Corridor (RTC) Plan envisions a unified land use strategy along its Corridor to encourage coordinated, sustainable planning adjacent to the Trail. The plan is designed to cultivate a strong sense of community and offer opportunities for revitalization and resource protection along the 24-mile Corridor. It considers improvements to trail conditions and connections while simultaneously supporting the diverse needs of community members, trail users, and local businesses.

The Rail Trail Corridor Plan was approved by the Summit County Council on May 24, 2023 and can be found by visiting summitcounty.org/railtrail.

Trails Trash Tunes

Speaking of the Rail Trail—the Summit County Stormwater Coalition and the Summit County Planning Department are presenting the THIRD Annual “Trails, Trash and Tunes” event on Saturday, May 11th from 12pm – 4pm at the Wanship Trailhead located at 1975 Hoytsville Rd. The purpose of the event is to welcome in springtime and celebrate the Earth with some rail trail cleanup, education about stormwater, noxious weeds identification and more!

There will be LIVE music from SLC-favorite Pixie and the Partygrass Boys, presented by Mountaintown Music. There will be food for purchase, a beer garden with light bites and brews for sale by local brewery Offset Bier for the 21+ crowd, a “Kids Corner” for the younger ones thanks to the Summit County Library for activities such as coloring, books and games.

Registration is free and not required to attend, but we would like to know who is coming! You can register online at: summitcounty.info/trailstrashtunes24. 

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TODAY WE COVER…

• Historic Union Pacific Rail Trail
• Deadlines for Restaurant Grant and Cultural Grant applications
• Subsidized rain barrel sale
• Kimball Junction EIS public comment period
• UofU Work/Life Balance Survey

HISTORIC UNION PACIFIC RAIL TRAIL

This Monday, March 18, Summit County Manager Shayne Scott submitted a Letter of Intent to potentially assume ownership of the Historic Union Pacific Rail Trail from Utah Division of State Parks. This is a non-binding commitment and jump-starts a process to study the feasibility of acquiring the property and next steps if we do. 

We want to be clear: there are no costs associated with Summit County acquiring the Rail Trail from Utah State Parks. the county is, however, assessing funding options and details related to management and maintenance that would come into play if we did assume ownership. 

Follow along for updates at summitcounty.org about this exciting potential acquisition. 

RAP TAX INFO

The Summit County Recreation, Arts and Parks (RAP) Grant and The Summit County Restaurant Tax Grant applications are still available online. 

The deadline for the RAP cultural grant applications is Thursday, March 28, 2024, at 5:00 PM. The deadline for the Restaurant grant application is Friday, March 29, 2024, at 5 PM. 

RAP Cultural Tax requirements must be a private nonprofit organization or institution registered with the State of Utah OR A municipal or a county cultural council – any other agency of the state or a political subdivision of the state is not a cultural organization – IN ADDITION: THE APPLICANT’S main purpose must relate to the themes of: Natural History, History, Art, Music, Theatre, Dance or, for (private nonprofits only) cultural arts.

Restaurant Tax Grant applicants must be a governmental entity, governmental subdivision, or nonprofit and use grant funds for the primary purpose of bringing new tourism from outside Summit County, preferably overnight visitors.

Applications must be submitted online. If you have any questions, contact Amy Jones at 435-336-3042. 

You can find the Restaurant Tax Grant application at summitcounty.info/restaurantgrant

You can find the RAP Cultural Grant application at summitcounty.info/RAPcultural

RAINHARVEST PROGRAM 2024

Summit County is partnering with the Utah Rivers Council to bring our residents a limited number of heavily discounted American-made rain barrels as part of the Rain Harvest program. Rain Harvest is a program that distributes rain barrels to Utah residents for the purpose of collecting rainwater that falls on rooftops for later use on lawns and gardens. This program offers residents the opportunity to affordably conserve water through rainwater collection. Residents of Summit County are invited to order these $55 rain barrels a rainbarrelprogram.org/urc, while supplies last.

Once the subsidized barrels run out, $83 rain barrels are available for purchase by any member of the public. The sale window will remain open until late April 2024.

The barrels will be distributed at a one-day, in-person event, on May 5 from 12-2pm at the Park City Sports Complex at Quinn’s Junction. Rain barrels will not be shipped to residents, so you really need to come to this in person pick up day. 

KIMBALL JUNCTION ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT

This is the last week for the Kimball Junction EIS comment period, which closes March 27.

For some context, UDOT has reached the next milestone for the environmental study they’re working on for the I-80 and SR-224 area.

They published the Alternatives Development and Screening Report, which identifies criteria and measures to evaluate each multi-modal alternative such as potential transportation improvements, details for the screening process– such as how options move forward or are eliminated, and identifies which alternatives are carried forward for detailed evaluation in the Draft EIS. 

They evaluated three alternatives–these were presented to you last year based on the Kimball Junction Area Plan–and two are moving forward for further consideration in the EIS process.

Alternative A: a new split-diamond interchange that directs local traffic off of Interstate 80 prior to Kimball Junction, a pedestrian underpass at state Route 224

And Alternative C, extended turn lanes, lane widening, and a pedestrian underpass at SR-224.

UDOT is looking for feedback on all characteristics presented in each alternative for the final design and evaluation. 

UDOT is asking for Summit County residents’ help to find transportation solutions for our community by taking some time to review their report. They are looking for your input on the alternative screening process, the initial impacts analysis, the alternatives they’ll evaluate in the Draft EIS, and any new ideas you might have.

As mentioned before, there are only a few more days left to give your feedback! The comment period closes March 27, 2024. To give comment and learn more, you can visit the project website: kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov/ 

You can also share your ideas with UDOT by emailing kimballjunctioneis@utah.gov or calling 435-255-3186.

WORK/LIFE BALANCE SURVEY

The Social Research Institute at the University of Utah is still looking for about 200 more responses for their Work/Life Balance Survey. The purpose is to gather information to help employers know what they can do to better support low to moderate-income families to retain employment.

Participants are paid $25 for a 25-30-minute interview that can be done over the phone. They hope to have respondents from all across the state so you are welcome to forward this info to anyone in Utah – staff, clients, community partners, anyone!

To participate a person must be:

• A caregiver of a child under age 12, or a caregiver to a child 12 and older with a disability;
• Middle to low income (annual household income of $50,000 or less);
• English speaking

Visit bit.ly/uofuwlbs to sign up to participate.

CLIMATE CHANGE AND PUBLIC HEALTH SPEAKER SERIES

The Climate Change and Public Health speaker series planning team has been putting in a lot of work to bring some awesome events in 2024! If you are interested in receiving updates about this year’s events, visit summitcountyhealth.org/speakerseries.

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TODAY, WE COVER…

• A quick Cedar Crest Village update
• Kimball Junction EIS public comment period
• Upcoming Restaurant Tax Grant deadline
• Trout Unlimited Award for Summit County Lands + Natural Resources Department  

CEDAR CREST 

Up next, we have a quick update related to the Cedar Crest Village Overlay. The public meeting originally scheduled for next Thursday, March 21, has been canceled. The next tentatively scheduled meeting is set for April 18, 2024 (6 PM, Ledges Center).

You can find more information about the overlay at summitcounty.info/cedarcrest or at cedarcresthoytsville.com.

KIMBALL JUNCTION PUBLIC COMMENT 

Moving on, we have another reminder about the public comment period that is open now until March 27 related to the Kimball Junction Environmental Impact Statement or EIS. 

For some context, the Kimball Junction EIS is all about building a gateway corridor into the Park City and Snyderville Basin area that is safe, efficient, and comfortable for all users whether that be in a car, bus, bicycle, or on foot.

We are working towards a solution would accomplish the following:

• Less vehicle queuing on I-80 meaning fewer crashes and saved lives 
• A more comfortable pedestrian connection to neighborhoods on both sides of SR-224  which would create a more livable community 
• Faster access to resorts and other destinations in the Wasatch Back which would mean  more economic development and tourism​, and as a result, a successful 2034 Olympics

The study began in 2020 and as of this March 2024, UDOT has published the Alternatives Development and Screening Report online and is asking for public input on each of the alternatives they proposed. So this means they’re looking for guidance on what options move forward, are eliminated, or are revised to best serve the community. UDOT is planning to wrap up the study at the end of this year. The detailed evaluation is included in the Draft EIS—All of this is available online at: kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov

*Keep in mind that Alternative B, the grade-separated intersections with frontage roads did not continue into this next phase of planning. However, we still want to know if there are aspects from this proposed plan that you liked, for instance: the grade-separated “flyunder”, the public area connecting the neighborhood, or something else! This is your time to share your thoughts.

A quick note about the public comments: We hope everyone takes the time to weigh in. You can  submit your feedback online about different aspects of each design alternative at kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov. Making comments to the county or anywhere else like on social media will not be included in the official UDOT record. 

We also want to be clear…this comment opportunity is not a “vote” and we won’t be tallying the number of times a person “likes” an alternative. UDOT is looking for the public to identify characteristics of all alternatives that they’d like to see for the final design and evaluation.

Before we close out on this topic, it is important to note that Summit County is requesting UDOT add the Kimball Junction Interchange to the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) which would mean that this project gets funding with plenty of time for design and construction prior to the 2034 Olympic games. Your comments are really important and have an impact on whether or not this project gets added to the Transportation Improvement Program.

Once again, you can visit: kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov to read more about the project and submit comments.

RESTAURANT TAX GRANT 

The Summit County Restaurant Tax Grant Application is open now through Friday, March 29 at 5 PM. The application can be found at summitcounty.info/restaurant and must be submitted online. 

Some requirements to be aware of before you start applying: Restaurant Tax Grant applicants must be a governmental entity, governmental subdivision, or nonprofit and use grant funds for the primary purpose of bringing new tourism from outside Summit County, preferably overnight visitors. The exact criteria for funding are outlined on the county website, again summitcounty.info/restaurant, and are attached to the applications.

Once applications close, the Grant Committee will review applications and make recommendations to the County Council in May. If you have any questions, please contact Amy Jones at 435-336-3042.

TROUT UNLIMITED AWARD 

And, last but certainly not least, County Lands and Natural Resources Director, Jess Kirby attended the Utah Trout Unlimited State Council annual banquet on March 14 where she accepted two awards that recognize Summit County for efforts in conservation and restoration of Utah’s watersheds.

Summit County is the first ever recipient of the Community Action Towards Conservation Habitat (“CATCH”) award which spotlights the county’s continual effort to improve the overall health of the Weber River watershed, years of collaboration on state World Resource Institute grants, and most recently efforts associated with the 910 Ranch and East Canyon Creek that runs through it. 

The “Community Conservation Partner” award was created by Trout Unlimited staff to honor the communities that are going above and beyond in local conservation and embodying the mission of their organization to bring together diverse interests to care for and recover rivers and streams for future generations. 

In his written remarks, Trout Unlimited director Scott Catton mentioned that this award specifically honors Jess Kirby, Director of Summit County’s County Lands and Natural Resources Department, for her work as a leading partner in conservation. He went into detail about how “she has teamed up with Trout Unlimited for many years to secure funding for projects that range from improving fish passage infrastructure on the Weber River, to building beaver dam analogs on small tributaries to improve water quality…” Reflecting upon her recent leadership in the acquisition of the almost 9,000 acre 910 Ranch near Jeremy Ranch, Catton said Kirby has wasted no time in initiating habitat restoration projects on the ranch throughout the forest area and along the four miles of East Canyon creek that flows through the property.

A huge congratulations are in order County Lands and Natural Resources Department! Visit summitcounty.org/countylands to follow along with the latest efforts of our Lands and Natural Resources Department.   

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Hey everyone! Welcome back to another week of news here on Summit in Six! Winter storms churned through the Wasatch this past week. For those powder-hounds out there we hope you’re getting some great skiing and riding in!

In today’s episode, we are going to cover the latest info from UDOT on the Kimball Junction interchange project, announce some appointments to our Board of Health, share council’s decision regarding the Maverick gas station project near Quinn’s Jct. and hear from the County Clerk about how this year’s presidential primary elections went.

Alright, let’s get into the news!

– Kimball Junction Interchange EIS
This week’s council meeting kicked off with an update from UDOT on the Kimball Junction Interchange project. UDOT representatives summarized their most recent progress on the Environmental Impact Statement (also referred to as “EIS”).

But before we get into the weeds of it, let’s take a step back and reiterate what this project is all about: building a gateway corridor into the Park City and Snyderville Basin area that is safe, efficient, and comfortable for all users whether that be in a car, bus, bicycle, or on foot.

We are working towards a solution would accomplish the following:

• Less vehicle queuing on I-80 meaning fewer crashes and saved lives

• A more comfortable pedestrian connection to neighborhoods on both sides of SR-224  which would create a more livable community
• Faster access to resorts and other destinations in the Wasatch Back which would mean  more economic development and tourism​, and as a result, a successful 2034 Olympics

The study began in 2020 and as of this March 2024, UDOT has published the Alternatives Development and Screening Report online and is asking for public input on each of the alternatives they proposed. So this means they’re looking for guidance on what options move forward, are eliminated, or are revised to best serve the community. UDOT is planning to wrap up the study at the end of this year. The detailed evaluation is included in the Draft EIS—All of this is available online at: kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov

*Keep in mind that Alternative B, the grade-separated intersections with frontage roads did not continue into this next phase of planning. However, we still want to know if there are aspects from this proposed plan that you liked, for instance: the grade-separated “flyunder”, the public area connecting the neighborhood, or something else! This is your time to share your thoughts.

A quick note about the public comments: We hope everyone takes the time to weigh in. You can  submit your feedback online about different aspects of each design alternative at kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov. Making comments to the county or anywhere else like on social media will not be included in the official UDOT record. 

We also want to be clear…this comment opportunity is not a “vote” and we won’t be tallying the number of times a person “likes” an alternative. UDOT is looking for the public to identify characteristics of all alternatives that they’d like to see for the final design and evaluation.

Before we close out on this topic, it is important to note that Summit County is requesting UDOT add the Kimball Junction Interchange to the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) which would mean that this project gets funding with plenty of time for design and construction prior to the 2034 Olympic games. Your comments are really important and have an impact on whether or not this project gets added to the Transportation Improvement Program.

Once again, you can visit: kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov to read more about the project and submit comments.

– Also at Council this week…

• We had some Board of Health re-appointments: so congratulations to Ilyssa Golding and Chris Cherniak. Thanks for your continued service. And congratulations to newly appointed Michelle Downard and Stephen Trapp. All of these terms will expire December 31, 2026.
• The council also approved the permit for Maverick to build a Gas Station with a Convenience Store near the Quinn’s Junction interchange off I-40 exit 4.
• And lastly, during manager’s comments, Summit County Clerk Eve Furse went over the Presidential primary elections that took place this Tuesday, March 5th. She clarified why the Democratic Party nomination process was through an election process (mail in ballot, in person voting, ballot drop box voting) run through the County Clerk’s office and the Republican Party chose to hold and run their own Presidential Preference Poll through their caucus.

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INTRO 

Welcome back to another week of Summit County news on Summit in Six. We’ve got important election news and updates on some big projects like Cedar Crest and the Ure Ranch as well as Kimball Junction/ 224 traffic study updates. Let’s get started.

ELECTIONS INFORMATION

The 2024 Democratic Presidential Primary Election is coming on March 5, 2024. If you’re a registered voter that has declared their party as “Democrat”, or requested a Democratic ballot in writing, you should have received your ballot in the mail in mid-February. For voting information, please visit summitcounty.org/elections. 

Also on March 5, 2024, both the Summit County Republican and Democratic parties will hold a caucus to choose their party’s leadership for the next two years. The Republican Caucus will vote on their preferred presidential candidate nominee in addition to selecting their party’s leadership. Questions? Visit: summitcountyutgop.org/caucus/ or scdems.org/

CEDAR CREST (Derek)

The Cedar Crest Village Overlay project was back in front of the Eastern Summit County Planning Commission this week. 

On Thursday, February 29, the commission held another work session related to the project. They heard specifics from Larry H. Miller Real Estate about infrastructure phasing, water and traffic impacts, and their affordable housing proposal. If you couldn’t make the meeting, you can listen back to hear the details at summitcounty.info/cedarcrest229.

Following the applicant’s presentation, the Planning Commission continued the public hearing related to the overlay project and heard from several members of the community. Comments were mostly focused on how the proposal will impact surrounding properties, traffic and road impacts beyond Hoytsville Road, and what community benefits the project will bring the community outside of additional housing. 

Another work session and public hearing for Cedar Crest is scheduled for Thursday, March 21 at the Ledges Event Center beginning at 6 PM. More information on that meeting, including a virtual Zoom attendance option, can be found on the homepage of summitcounty.org under the News section.

And now, we’re going to take a quick break to learn about a short bit of Summit County History, from our intern, Alaina.

HENEFER, ECHO, and the PONY EXPRESS

Despite its modest size, Henefer holds a significant amount of Western history. John’s Park is a small park in the town of Henefer that serves as a historical marker of the area in which Pony Express riders once passed through. 

The new pioneer spirit drew settlers to the area, making it an ideal stopping place for goods, services, and information.

Weber Station was a multipurpose space that included a general store, blacksmith shop, saloon and jail. Its location at the mouth of Echo Canyon made it an ideal stop along the Pony Express route. 

Young Pony Express riders, William Page and George Little, would thunder past Cache Cave, and down into Echo Canyon as they headed to Salt Lake City carrying messages and goods.

URE RANCH OPEN HOUSE

On Thursday evening, Summit County hosted a second information session in Kamas about the Ure Ranch Property acquisition and gathered public input on what the community would like to see the land used for in the future. County Lands and Natural Resources Director Jess Kirby gave a short presentation summarizing findings from hundreds of public comments received at the first open house and online since late January. 

She went into detail about what a conservation easement is and the positive outlook of the county’s efforts to preserve the North Meadows for agricultural use and open space thanks to collaborative efforts with Summit Land Conservancy. The evening closed out with an engagement activity where attendees used stickers to indicate their sentiments about proposed ideas for portions of the 834-acre property.

If you would like to contact Jess and her team directly with questions about this land acquisition, feel free to email: countylands@summitcounty.org

Stay up to date on all things related to the Ure Ranch by subscribing to the project-specific email list: summitcounty.info/ureranchnews and visiting summitcounty.info/ureranch

KIMBALL JUNCTION Environmental Impact Statement

UDOT has reached the next milestone for the environmental study they’re working on for the I-80 and SR-224 area.

They published the Alternatives Development and Screening Report, which identifies criteria and measures to evaluate each multi-modal alternative (potential transportation improvements), details the screening process (how options move forward or are eliminated), and identifies which alternatives are carried forward for detailed evaluation in the Draft EIS. 

They evaluated three alternatives (presented to you last year based on the Kimball Junction Area Plan) and two are moving forward for further consideration in the EIS process.

Alternative A: a new split-diamond interchange that directs local traffic off of Interstate 80 prior to Kimball Junction, a pedestrian underpass at state Route 224

And Alternative C, extended turn lanes, lane widening, and a pedestrian underpass at SR-224.

UDOT is looking for characteristics of all alternatives for the final design and evaluation. 

UDOT is asking for Summit County residents’ help to find transportation solutions for our community by taking some time to review their report. They are looking for your input on the alternative screening process, the initial impacts analysis, the alternatives they’ll evaluate in the Draft EIS, and any new ideas you might have.

The comment period is open now through March 27, 2024. To give comment and learn more, you can visit the project website: kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov/ 

You can also share your ideas with UDOT by emailing kimballjunctioneis@utah.gov or calling 435-255-3186.

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Hey everyone! Welcome back to another week of news here on Summit in Six!

In today’s episode, we are going to cover some updates from this week’s county council meeting and the Dakota Pacific hearings. Then, we’ll wrap things up with some community engagement opportunities to keep on your radar. Let’s get into the news.

CHALK CREEK & INDUSTRIAL PARK ROAD.

In this week’s Council meeting, Council Members approved a petition request by the public to officially change the name of a section of a Summit County road from Industrial Park Road to Chalk Creek Road. Previously, the portion of Chalk Creek Road in Coalville City limits that makes a bend near the cemetery was called Industrial Park Road for approximately 630 feet, Industrial Park Road is a city-owned road that begins on the west side of the Coalville Cemetery. 

There were a few reasons for this requested name change: 

• There are no stop signs on this road from Coalville Main Street to the Wyoming border, which has caused issues and confusion with emergency response vehicles and package delivery services attempting to find Chalk Creek Road. 
• All of Chalk Creek is a County Road, and Industrial Park Road is a city-owned road. except for this small portion that was in line with Chalk Creek.

We appreciate the public bringing this issue to the county’s attention.

DAKOTA PACIFIC UPDATES

County Council resumed discussions with Dakota Pacific Real Estate, DPRE, this past Thursday, February 22 where representatives of Dakota Pacific provided a response and counter-proposal to Council’s requested changes to the development plan.

Highlights of the counter-proposal include:

• An increase from the Council-requested 500 total units to 695 total units
• A decrease from the total Council-requested affordable units at or below 80% AMI from 250 to 240.
• The number of 100-120% AMI units remained the same
• An increase in market rate united deed-restricted to ages 55+ from 82 to 90
• The addition of surface parking for apartments (compared to a parking structure)
• An allocation of $2.5 M in HTRZ or other public funds in exchange for moving an additional 20 market-rate apartments to affordable.

In addition, Dakota Pacific requested changes to the phased development schedule, which would allow them to begin building Senior Care, Medical Facilities, and up to 240 affordable units within 1 year of the signed development agreement amendment, which would allow DPRE to apply for affordable housing tax credits with the state.

In Phase 2, which begins with UDOT adding State Road 224 to the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, DPRE could build the majority of their market-rate units within 3 years.

In Phase 3, which begins with the start of construction on SR 224 (or no later than June 2029) DPRE could build their final 80 market-rate units.

After a Q&A session, individual Council members provided comments and shared concerns on the updated proposal. As a next step in the project, Council and DPRE agreed to conduct a third-party financial analysis of the proposal to be paid for by the County before further discussions, including a public hearing, are scheduled.

Please note the DPRE work session item scheduled during Council on Wednesday, February 28 has been canceled. Visit https://summitcounty.info/DPRE (all caps, case sensitive) to view the most current schedule of upcoming meetings and recordings of previous work sessions.

UNIVERSITY OF UTAH WORK-LIFE BALANCE SURVEY

The Department of Health and Human Services is working with the University of Utah on a survey about Work/Life Balance. The purpose is to gather information to help employers know what they can do to better support low- to moderate-income families to retain employment.  

Participants are paid $25 for a 25-30 minute interview that can be done over the phone. Their goal is to find 600 participants across the state.

To participate a person must be:

• A caregiver of a child under age 12, or a caregiver to a child 12 and older with a disability;
• Middle to low income (annual household income of $50,000 or less);
• English speaking

Visit https://bit.ly/uofuwlbs to sign up to participate!

URE RANCH OPEN HOUSE

A second information session for the community to attend and give input on the Ure Ranch property is coming up next week. Join us at the Kamas Library Building from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm on Thursday, February 29.

You may be wondering: “What’s the difference between this upcoming information session and the last one?” At the February 29th meeting there will be a short presentation by County Lands and Natural Resources Director, Jess Kirby. She will summarize the findings from the hundreds of comments received so far from the community online and in person. The presentation will dive into what a conservation easement is and what protections it provides regarding this property. 

The evening will close out with an engagement activity. If you can’t attend the presentation, you should still come for the activity and ask questions one-on-one with staff familiar with the project.

We must reiterate that no action has been taken in regard to the planning for this property. We are still in the public input stage and exploring what the community does or does not wish to see.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Hey everyone! Welcome back to another week of news here on Summit in Six!

In today’s episode, we are going to cover some important upcoming elections info, changes to the Dakota Pacific meeting schedule, updates on last year’s 910 Cattle Ranch and Ure Ranch property acquisitions, as well as an overview of Basin Recreation’s 10-year strategic plan that was presented to council this week.

Alright, let’s get into the news!

2024 Elections – Ballots Mailed!

Earlier this week, the Summit County Clerk’s Office put ballots in the mail for the 2024 Presidential Primary Election, so voters can expect those ballots to hit their mailboxes by this weekend. To learn more about this year’s election cycle and what you can expect, listen to a special episode of “Summit in Six” with County Clerk, Eve Furse, out now!
Visit: summitcounty.info/elections2024 to tune in. 

Dakota Pacific Meeting Schedule Update

We want to make the public aware of some scheduling updates involving Dakota Pacific meetings:

• There will be a meeting on February 22 at 3 p.m. at the Richins Building
• Dates and times for a public hearing/comment and final decision by Council are all postponed and to be determined. So stay tuned here for additional updates to the schedule.

You can view the current meeting schedule and recordings of past meetings as they become available at https://summitcounty.info/DPRE (all caps).

910 Cattle Ranch Update to Council

During the Council meeting this week, County Lands and Natural Resources Director, Jess Kirby gave an update on the two properties the County entered into option agreements to purchase in 2023: The 910 Cattle Ranch near Jeremy Ranch, and the Ure Ranch in Kamas.

First let’s dive into Ure Ranch Updates and upcoming opportunities for public engagement surrounding planning for this property:

• It has been almost a year since Summit County has come under an option agreement to purchase the Ure Ranch which is an 834-acre family farm located in the Kamas Valley. The Ure Family chose the County as the optimal owner and steward of this land for future generations. The first information session about the property was held on January 22nd. Around 150 community members attended.
  
• On February 29th, there will be a second information session for the community to attend and give input on the property. It will be held at the Kamas Library Building from 5:30 pm until 7:30 pm. 

You may be wondering: “What’s the difference between this upcoming information session and the last one?” At the February 29th meeting there will be a short presentation by County Lands and Natural Resources Director, Jess Kirby. She will summarize the findings from the hundreds of comments received so far from the community online and in person. The presentation will dive into what a conservation easement is and what protections it provides in regard to this property.

The evening will close out with an engagement activity. If you can’t attend the presentation, you should still come for the activity and to ask questions one-on-one with staff familiar with the project.

It’s important that we reiterate that no action has been taken in regards to the planning for this property, we are still in the public input stage and exploring what the community does or does not wish to see.

Now we will shift gears to updates regarding the nearly 9,000-acre 910 Cattle Ranch located in Jeremy Ranch which the County entered into an option agreement to purchase in August 2023. The property is one of the last contiguous mountain ranches privately held by a single landowner in western Summit County and the Snyderville Basin area.

Since August, County staff has been:

• Focused on gathering data on what wildlife are present in the area
  
• Creating a volunteer Ambassador Program
  
• Taking into consideration information from a USU extension capstone project on the “Prospects and Constraints for a Recreational Fishery on East Canyon Creek”

During the presentation, an update on funding for the property was given. So far $15 million has been secured and $40 million in pending grants, most of which should be announced in the spring.

You can stay up to date on information about this property at: summitcounty.org/910ranch

Basin Recreation Updates

Director of Basin Recreation, Dana Jones, presented to council this week on a 10-Year Strategic Plan and a 5-Year Trails Plan for the special service district.

The strategic planning process began in August 2022 and included extensive public engagement, an analysis of existing facilities and resources, feedback from stakeholder groups, and more.

For some background: Basin Recreation manages over 2,700 acres of open space and over 170 miles of paved, soft surface and natural surface trails. Like many mountain communities, Summit County has experienced significant growth over the last decade. This rapid population growth has surpassed the capacity for much of the existing recreational infrastructure provided by The District and surrounding recreation providers creating a shortage of facility space.

During their presentation to council, Basin Recreation staff also reviewed their 5-Year Trails Plan. Some of the key takeaways from that plan include:

1. Providing high-quality trail experiences
2. Developing a connected network of trails
3. Providing and supporting a diversity of trail experiences
4. Developing a sustainable and environmentally responsible trail system
5. Develop an all-season trail network
6. Provide programs to build a community culture of trail use

The plans will be finalized and released this spring, so stay tuned for updates at basinrecreation.org

Reminders…

Summit County Nonprofit Tax Exemption

We are going to close out today’s episode with a few reminders. The first reminder concerns Summit County nonprofits. The deadline to submit applications for tax exemption is March 1, 2024. This is for all renewal applications and new exemptions.

Organizations can complete their annual renewal or submit an application for a new exemption using the online application system. The system will allow an organization to apply online and submit all necessary documentation. Access the online system at summitcounty.info/exemptnpo

President’s Day: Lastly, we want to give a reminder that County offices are closed on Monday, January 19th in observance of President’s Day and we open our doors again on Tuesday, February 20.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Podcast: Play in new window | Download