The Summit County government has a long list of priorities in 2026, with a particular focus on housing, transportation and updating the county’s general plans.
Each year, the staff collaborates with department heads and the Summit County Council to create a work plan, which outlines all major objectives, projects and initiatives for the next 365 days. The County Council unanimously adopted this year’s proposed work plan on Wednesday.
The seven priorities listed for this year are:
- Updates to the county general plans
- Housing
- Regional planning and transportation
- Solid waste management
- Lands and natural resources management
- Senior citizen services
- Public-private partnerships and county facilities
Summit County has a general plan for the Snyderville Basin and one for eastern Summit County. The general plans are intended to serve as roadmaps to influence important land use decisions, as well as open space acquisitions and transportation infrastructure. The Snyderville Basin plan was last updated in 2013, while the East Side plan was changed in 2015.
County planners started the process of gathering feedback to modify the general plans in early 2024, with final adoption of the plans slated for the end of 2025. However, Deputy County Manager Janna Young said the process was delayed because of additional state requirements regarding how the county approaches water.
Now, county staff are hopeful the general plans will be adopted by the end of 2026 instead.
The County Council also wants to continue its affordable housing push by supporting the Summit County Housing Authority, which is currently working on its own strategic plan to encourage and increase affordable housing options for county residents.
The work plan additionally mentioned finalizing the county’s agreement with Columbus Pacific Development. The development firm, known for its work on the Slopeside Village employee housing project at Canyons Village, entered an exclusive negotiation agreement with the County Council in June to develop the 30-acre Cline Dahle parcel in Jeremy Ranch.
The company pitched the deed-restricted project in May, outlining a plan to build 100 apartments with a mix of units between 0% to 150% of the AMI, or area median income — more than half of which would serve people making less than 80% AMI, which is $94,400 for an individual or $134,880 for a family of four — and 72 for-sale, single-family homes with two to four bedrooms.
Finalizing the agreement with Columbus Pacific Development for the Cline Dahle parcel while work begins on Dakota Pacific Real Estate’s Kimball Junction project this spring solidifies the county’s shift toward private-public partnerships and councilors’ active interest in encouraging more affordable housing developments.
As for regional planning and transportation, Young said the county will work with the Utah Department of Transportation to advance the design of proposed changes to the Kimball Junction interchange with Interstate 80, as well as the pedestrian bridge slated to cross S.R. 224.
Young said the county has specific solid waste management goals, too, most of which are largely focused on making the Three Mile Landfill last another 10 years. She said the county is also working with Recycle Utah as the organization moves to a different facility this year.
The local government is continuing its commitment to preserving open space in the new year as well. Summit County and the Summit Land Conservancy officially closed on the 835-acre Ure Ranch property in the Kamas Valley last month, but there are still a number of conservation easements to solidify before the land is opened to the public.
The deal for the 910 Cattle Ranch, the largest land acquisition in Summit County’s history with a whopping 8,588 acres, is also expected to be finalized in the next few months. Young said once the county closes on the property, staff will initiate a “stakeholder process” to create and adopt a management plan for the area.
Young said staff are additionally working on a strategic plan for a senior citizens program, a project County Councilor Tonja Hanson has advocated for repeatedly since the county’s only assisted living facility, Elk Meadows, closed in 2024.
The county has a variety of facilities-related projects to complete in 2026 as well, including renovations to the County Courthouse in Coalville. Staff are also vacating the Sheldon Richins Building in Kimball Junction, which is scheduled for demolition as part of Dakota Pacific Real Estate’s development project, and moving to the building formerly occupied by Skullcandy.
The County Council in December voted to spend $4.2 million renovating the building to better accommodate the Summit County Library and Utah Division of Motor Vehicles on the first floor, which is where most of the construction will occur.
The county is currently seeking public feedback on what to rename the building, and residents can vote for their choice via a Google form available on the county’s website. The options are “The Hub — Junction Services Hub,” “CIRC — County Information & Resource Center” and “PEAK (Public Engagement at Kimball) Center.”
Young previously estimated construction on the building will last approximately six months.
Each of the county’s seven priorities fits within the County Council’s four strategic objectives: growth management and regional planning, transportation and traffic congestion, local housing choice and environmental stewardship. Young and County Manager Shayne Scott will meet with the County Council every few months to provide updates on the work plan and the county’s progress on larger projects.