Basin Recreation has reduced its proposed general obligation bond from $150 million to $71 million following public feedback and concerns raised by Summit County Council members. The revised plan would focus on one primary indoor recreation facility rather than two. Photo: Basin Recreation.

Revised proposal is less than half the original $150 million request and would focus bond funding on one primary recreation facility

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — Basin Recreation has reduced its proposed general obligation bond from $150 million to no more than $71 million, scaling back plans for two new indoor recreation facilities after weeks of public feedback and concerns from the Summit County Council.

The Snyderville Basin Special Recreation District Administrative Control Board unanimously voted Aug. 13 to recommend the revised amount to the County Council. The council is scheduled to consider the request Wednesday, Aug. 19. If approved, the bond question would go before district voters Nov. 3. Summit County’s posted agenda confirms the council will consider a resolution authorizing a special election for up to $71 million in general obligation bonds.

The change follows an Aug. 5 County Council discussion in which members declined to advance the original $150 million proposal and encouraged Basin Recreation to return with a smaller plan.

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As TownLift previously reported, that proposal called for a roughly 64,000-square-foot recreation center at East Canyon/Cline-Dahle and a roughly 120,000-square-foot facility at Silver Creek Village. East Canyon was envisioned with climbing, fitness space and indoor courts, while Silver Creek included aquatics, indoor turf, fitness space and other recreation uses.

During the Aug. 5 discussion, Council member Chris Robinson said the district might need to “cut it in half or less.” Council member Roger Armstrong also urged officials to narrow the proposal and focus on more basic fitness and recreation needs. No vote was taken on the $150 million request.

At the Aug. 13 Basin Recreation meeting, board Chair Ryan Bruce said officials had continued listening to residents and council members.

“What we heard over the last couple of weeks was that everything that the public wanted cost too much,” Bruce said.

The revised proposal would seek authorization for up to $71 million. Bruce estimated the tax impact at approximately $120 per year, or $10 per month, for a primary residence with a fair market value of $1 million. For a $1 million secondary residence or business, he estimated about $220 per year.

Those estimates are substantially below the latest figures presented for the $150 million proposal. At the Aug. 5 meeting, Basin Recreation Executive Director Rob Parrish said updated estimates from Zions Public Finance put the larger bond at approximately $255 annually for a primary residence with a $1 million fair market value under the district’s preferred level-amortization structure.

Parrish emphasized Thursday that a $71 million bond would not mean a $71 million construction budget. After permitting, design and other soft costs, he said the district expects to have just under $60 million available for construction.

“We’re not going to be building a $71 million facility,” Parrish said. “It’s really going to be we’re going to have about $60 million to play with.”

Under the revised approach, officials said bond proceeds would concentrate primarily on one indoor recreation facility with an aquatics component. Outdoor fields, courts and other recreation improvements could continue to be developed separately using impact fees, grants, partnerships or other funding sources.

The precise plan, however, remains undecided.

Strategic Planning Committee Chair Brandi Connolly said the district is still considering its Silver Creek Village and East Canyon/Cline-Dahle properties and would look at construction costs and building footprints before committing to a site.

Board member Alisa Schofield said she wanted the district to provide voters with a clear picture of what they would receive for the money.

“What I’m concerned about is making sure that when we go to ask for the $71 million or ask the public for the $71 million that we have a comprehensive plan,” Schofield said. “What exactly are we going to do with the $71 million, and where?”

Bruce said the district would develop more detailed construction-cost research and conceptual plans as the process moves forward, including ahead of additional public meetings this fall.

The bond discussion grew out of Basin Recreation’s broader effort to address crowding and future recreation demand in the Snyderville Basin. TownLift reported in June that a district survey of 1,414 respondents found 61% had avoided The Fieldhouse because of crowding. District planning documents project its service population will increase from 25,597 in 2026 to 30,709 by 2036, roughly 20%.

But public reaction shifted as the district moved from discussing desired amenities to presenting specific costs. At the Aug. 5 hearing, residents questioned the size of the proposed tax increase and whether all amenities in the two-facility plan warranted public financing.

The Aug. 13 vote does not put the $71 million bond on the ballot. Basin Recreation’s board formally recommended that the County Council call the special bond election. The district’s posted agenda specifically authorized officials to bring that request to the council Aug. 19.

The County Council will consider whether to place the measure before voters at its Aug. 19 meeting.