The Snyderville Basin Special Recreation District is the preferred provider in Summit County, but area residents are unsure if they would support a multimillion-dollar bonding effort despite the growing need for facilities.
Now the measure is unlikely to appear on the 2024 ballot, in order to give the organization more time to develop a solid plan, according to Basin Recreation District Director Dana Jones.
“We don’t want to go to the public with something that isn’t fully fleshed out,” she said on Friday. “We don’t want to say we’re going to do something and then not be able to. We want to be responsible.”
A survey of Basin residents shows the community values what the recreation district provides, from indoor and outdoor field space, classes at the Fieldhouse, thousands of acres of open space and hundreds of miles of trails.
However, respondents were split on whether they would vote for a bonding effort between $50 million and $80 million to improve services as high demand encroaches on available capacity.
Approximately 51% of residents were against a possible recreation bond. Yet the percentage decreased throughout the survey as its purpose was explained.
Jones estimated around one-third of residents are in opposition to the bond, one-third support it and one-third are part of a “movable middle.” Their final decision would vary depending on the total cost, the impact on taxpayers, and what the district would build.
The greatest support came from voters ages 18 to 44 as well as frequent users of Basin Rec facilities.
Basin Recreation has embarked on a strategic planning process to help the district develop a 10-year master plan and a five-year trails plan, which was presented to the Summit County Council on Wednesday. The assessment involves examining open space in the district as well as how 100 acres near Silver Creek Village should be developed.
Jones said staff are focused on finishing the development plan for the Silver Creek. Then they’ll work with the designer to create a phased approach as well as a list of what’s possible with the district’s current funding.
One possibility is creating a new recreation center similar to the Fieldhouse. The other includes opportunities for passive recreation such as playgrounds, a park area and connections to trailheads.
Options for the site vary greatly depending on whether a recreation bond is eventually passed.
Smaller improvements such as trails or a dog park could happen first, to show taxpayers how their money is being used. Basin Rec is also examining other alternatives like putting a dome over an outdoor field in winter.
The survey showed residents would be most likely to support a tax increase if it helped protect undeveloped view areas, protected water quality, provided additional opportunities for activities such as cross-country skiing, mountain biking, hiking, protection of historical sites or other agricultural uses.
Groomed winter trails and indoor swimming pools with play areas were the most desired amenities among respondents. An indoor climbing wall was also a preference for people ages 18 to 34.
Outdoor and indoor turf fields as well as outdoor pickleball courts were the least popular. However, other community engagement has prioritized these items.
Jones noted a market assessment determined Basin Rec has a severe shortage of field space and lacks indoor activity space. She said the district continues to partner with Park City Municipal, the Park City School District and other recreation organizations such as the Mountain Trails Foundation.
The top-ranked activities in the Basin Rec service area include skiing, ice skating, pilates, tennis, jogging or running, ping pong, yoga road or mountain biking, hiking and aerobic exercise.
Voters in 2014 approved a $25 million bond for Basin Rec, with $15 million of that dedicated to recreation and open space acquisition. It raised property taxes by around $125 a year for the average homeowner. A $20 million bond, of which $8 million was set aside for trails, was also passed in 2010.
A small group of Snyderville Basin residents in December opposed a nearly 20% tax increase, which provides an additional $1.3 million to the recreation district.