Summit County Council to hold special meeting to discuss plan for state affordable housing law

Summit County Council Building. Photo: TownLift // Aberman

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — A special session of the Summit County Council will be held on September 19 at 3:00 p.m. to discuss two ordinances that will expand the county’s plans to provide moderate-income housing. The meeting will be held at 202 East Park Road, Coalville, and virtually over Zoom.

The County is holding this special meeting in part to comply with Utah State affordable housing law HB0462 (Utah Housing and Affordability Amendments), which was adopted by the state legislature in 2022. HB0462 mandates that counties include plans to ensure the construction and availability of moderate-income housing within their borders. It also outlines financial incentives for compliance with the mandates, provided counties can do so by October 1, 2022.

With the October 1 deadline approaching, the meeting on September 19 will be centered on two staff reports with recommendations on how the county can amend its general plan in time to receive the above-mentioned state money. The first staff report scheduled for discussion is in regard to Ordinance no. 950, which would adjust the general plan for moderate-income housing in the Synderville Basin area. The second does the same for Ordinance no. 951, which would amend the general plan for the Eastern Summit County area.

Both staff reports outline how HB0462 defines moderate-income housing, namely as “housing occupied or reserved for occupancy by households with a gross household income equal to or less than 80% of the median gross income for households of the same size in the county in which the housing is located.” They also recommend the use of several of the 23 state-identified strategies for complying with HB0462, including identifying possible changes to land use regulations, using county general fund subsidies to waive construction fees usually imposed by the county, using zoning incentives to encourage new development, creating a housing and transit reinvestment zone (HTRZ), and others.

The agenda for the meeting includes public hearings for both staff reports and “possible adoption” of the proposed ordinances.

Other items included for discussion in the September 19 meeting include a possible amendment of the Interlocal Cooperation Agreement between Park City Fire Service District and Summit County regarding Park City ambulance service and consideration for the approval of High Valley Transit District’s continued use of the Ecker Park and Ride Lot.