Ordinance 987: the project formerly known as Dakota Pacific, edges closer to deal with Summit County

A rendering from the Dakota Pacific Master Plan showing the housing and mixed use development. Photo: Dakota Pacific Real Estate

'We’re basically $1M apart on cost sharing, and 25 units apart on density' ~ Council member Chris Robinson. A vote on the project will come on Dec. 18

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah – At  Wednesday’s Summit County Council meeting the discussion with real estate developers at Dakota Pacific continued with Dakota Pacific representatives giving their final offer to Summit County. Council Chair Malena Stevens said the next meeting, scheduled for Dec. 18 at 4 p.m. at the Richin’s County offices will be the meeting where a yay or nay is given to the housing and public infrastructure project that has been five years in the making.

New for this meeting was a re-naming of the discussion. Previous agendas posted by the county have referred to the housing and infrastructure project as: “Discussion regarding Dakota Pacific Real Estate’s proposals for developing its land at Kimball Junction and continued discussion on its public private partnership with Summit County.”

But this week’s agenda made no mention of Dakota Pacific Real Estate – instead the county re-named the issue Ordinance No. 987 an ordinance approving and adopting the amended and restated development agreement for Park City Junction, formerly known as Summit Research Park, Wednesday’s posted meeting agenda read.

County Manager Shane Scott explained the ordinance is the actual action that will change code and allow for a development to take place that is anything but the “tech park.”

“The change is just how the legal team styled the agenda. If the council decides to make a change in this area this coming Wednesday, they will have to do so by passing that ordinance,” Scott said.

Along with the renaming, for the first time in several weeks Dakota Pacific Real Estate (DPRE) representatives Steve Borup and Mark Stanworth provided a counter proposal to the county. DPRE has stood firm in needing at least 400 market rate housing units to make the project financially solvent, but in Wednesday’s meeting Borup said DPRE was willing to reduce the number of market rate units to 385. Borup also said they would trim 10 affordable units, putting the project within 25 units of a potential deal on density.

“We’ve felt like there is not room to give, but we heard that this is important to the county. We don’t want it to stall out,” Borup said.

A portion of the market-rate units are designated as “attainable housing,” reserved for individuals earning 100% to 120% of the area median income (AMI). Wednesday, DPRE extended the duration of the income restrictions which would delaying when the units become available to those earning above 120% of the AMI.

The county had previously told DPRE that they want a $5M contribution to jointly funded improvements  like a pedestrian bridge and parking structure and DPRE came back to them with $3.5M, but on Wednesday Borup told the council they would raise their contribution to $4M. And they agreed to share the cost of demolition of the current Richins county buildings.

Other small tweaks to project phasing and timing were proposed by DPRE.

Council member Chris Robinson suggested taking the counter proposal under advisement and to let lawyers keep working on the amended agreements  before further discussion at the December 18 meeting.

“We’re basically $1M apart on cost sharing, and 25 units apart on density, but we need to consider the totality,” Robinson said.

Mark Stanworth, CEO of DPRE told the council that they looked hard at what was possible in an effort to come closer to the county’s requests.

We said, ‘Let’s try to push to the bleeding point.’ We are trying our very, very best,” Stanworth said.

The meeting on Dec. 18 is open to the public and will begin at 4 p.m. at the Richins Auditorium, 1885 W. Ute Blvd., Park City.