Basin Recreation is considering a possible general obligation bond to fund two new recreation facilities in the Snyderville Basin, including proposed sites at Silver Creek Village and East Canyon/Cline-Dahle. Photo: Basin Recreation.

A possible November bond could fund new recreation centers at Silver Creek Village and East Canyon/Cline-Dahle, with aquatics, courts, climbing, turf and fitness space under consideration.

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — Basin Recreation is exploring a possible general obligation bond to fund two new recreation facilities in the Snyderville Basin, a proposal that district officials say is driven by crowding at The Fieldhouse, continued population growth, and broad public demand for more indoor recreation space.

The concept, presented to the Summit County Council during a Wednesday work session, would create new recreation centers at Silver Creek Village and East Canyon/Cline-Dahle. Basin Recreation Executive Director Rob Parrish said the discussion was informational and that no final bond amount has been set.

Parrish told council members that Basin Recreation expects to return July 15 with more detailed cost estimates, renderings, and updated public input. The district is also planning a second round of public engagement on July 8.

Similar Reads On TownLift

“We’re not looking for a decision,” Parrish told the council. “It’s more informational, just to kind of get you up to speed.”

The proposal comes after three May open houses and an online survey that drew 1,414 responses. According to Basin Recreation’s staff report, 61% of respondents said they have avoided The Fieldhouse because of crowding, while 51% of non-users cited crowding as the reason they do not use the facility. Another 29% said they use the facility less often than they would like, and 25% said they have gone elsewhere instead.

Parrish said the findings suggest the need for new space extends beyond current members.

“They say the need is community-wide, not just recreation-user driven,” Parrish said.

The district’s current thinking calls for a 120,000-square-foot Silver Creek Village facility, revised upward from an earlier 76,000-square-foot concept. That facility would likely include aquatics, a larger indoor turf field, an extended indoor track, expanded fitness space, improved locker rooms, and connections to outdoor amenities.

The East Canyon/Cline-Dahle facility is now being considered at about 64,000 square feet, after residents said an earlier 42,000-square-foot concept was too small. That facility would likely focus on a full-spec climbing area, indoor courts, fitness and group fitness, a track, and wellness amenities such as a sauna or cold plunge.

Public feedback showed strong demand for strength and fitness space, indoor turf, indoor courts, climbing, lap swimming, family aquatics, and indoor track space. Basin Recreation’s presentation said the current Fieldhouse weight room is a top complaint and that local climbing options have been limited since The Mine closed.

Aquatics emerged as one of the clearest geographic preferences. While an earlier concept placed aquatics at East Canyon, Parrish said public feedback favored putting the pool at Silver Creek Village.

“There definitely has been a strong demand for more swim lanes, a family-style rec pool,” Parrish said, adding that the district received confirmation that residents preferred the Silver Creek Village area for aquatics.

Site preference varied by neighborhood. The staff report said Silver Creek was preferred overall, especially by residents near Silver Creek Village, while East Canyon was preferred by residents in Jeremy Ranch, Pinebrook, and Summit Park. Still, 61% of respondents said they would support a facility at their non-preferred site.

The possible bond has not yet been priced. A 2023 voter survey tested a $70 million bond with an estimated annual household cost of $70. That scenario drew 48.7% initial support, slightly below the threshold needed for passage. The same survey found 54.3% of respondents considered $70 per year “about right.”

But Basin Recreation’s presentation also identified a trust gap. While 57.8% of respondents said the district does a good job overall, only 23.8% said it uses tax money wisely.

Parrish said Basin Recreation is working on several steps intended to build public confidence before any ballot measure, including a new fee structure that more clearly differentiates resident and nonresident rates, updated impact fee planning, new accounting and asset management software, and possible restructuring of existing bond debt to reduce the annual tax impact of a new bond.

He said the district also wants to communicate the cost to voters in terms of annual household impact rather than only as a total bond number.

Council Member Megan McKenna said she supported the two-building approach and said a rec pool in the Silver Creek area could serve families living near the area’s affordable housing.

“I do like the two-building approach,” McKenna said. “I think it makes a lot of sense.”

Council members also asked about the district’s assumptions around future growth, impact fees, and how new development would contribute to recreation infrastructure. Parrish said Basin Recreation and Zions Public Finance reviewed known and planned development in the area and identified more than 4,600 demand units expected over the next decade, with a significant portion of that demand expected in the next three to four years.

Parrish said impact fees will help pay for future recreation improvements, but said they are collected over time and cannot be relied on to fully fund the facilities upfront. He said new development will also add to the tax base, which could eventually spread bond costs across more properties.

The district is also weighing how to phase in outdoor amenities. Parrish said the bond would likely focus on the two anchor buildings, while later phases could include outdoor courts, fields, and other site improvements funded through impact fees, grants, or other sources.

The district is expected to release architectural concepts and more specific bond estimates in July. A final decision on whether to place a bond measure on the November ballot would likely come later this summer.