A group home proposed within a former senior living facility in the Highland Estates area will likely be discussed by West Side planning commissioners early next week.
The Snyderville Basin Planning Commission is slated to conduct a public hearing at 6 p.m. on Tuesday to discuss whether a residential treatment and social detox center, known as the Wasatch Crest Treatment Facility, should receive a conditional-use permit. Representatives from the facility appeared before the Planning Commission in the spring, but the panel asked for more information before deciding on the application.
County planner Ray Milliner said there aren’t any significant changes proposed to the project since it was last discussed. The location of the dumpster and the configuration of the parking plan have changed somewhat, but the building’s interior will remain the same.
Residents living nearby the facility, which would repurpose the former BeeHive Home on West Highland Drive, have concerns about occupancy, staffing, location and safety. But planning commissioners in June were unsure whether they could legally reject the application.
Under the Snyderville Basin’s development code, residential treatment facilities are permitted in rural residential areas, which is how the Highland Estates area is zoned.
Before the Planning Commission members consider approval, Milliner said they want to know whether the facility’s intended use is protected under state and federal law. Planning commissioners also want to understand why the facility was originally approved for use as a group home/care center in 2011 and are considering instituting conditions of approval to help limit the negative impacts of the project on the neighborhood, such as smoking, security, traffic and the protection of the bus stop.
Paxton Guymon, a land-use attorney representing Wasatch Crest, previously told the Planning Commission the project could not be denied based on public comment. He said there needs to be a reason for the panel to reject it other than its intended use as a treatment facility because Utah’s fair housing laws protect people with substance use disorder from discrimination.
However, Lynda Viti, a Summit County deputy attorney, argued state law only applies to certain physical or mental disabilities and doesn’t include people who struggle with using controlled substances.
The Planning Commission agreed more information and clarification on the legal process were needed before the application could be approved or denied.
The proposed project would utilize the existing 11,000-square-foot facility, which includes 16 bedrooms, 17 1/2 bathrooms, a living room, a dining room and laundry room, a kitchen and an office area. The proposal also includes parking spots for staff, therapists and visitors, plus space for two to three company vans with additional parking proposed.
Representatives from Wasatch Crest adjusted the project after input from the community in April. They unveiled a new plan in June which reduced the occupancy from 32 to 28 adults. It could also include up to 12 clients on the social detox side with 16 receiving residential treatment. Between 22 and 24 clients are expected to be in the facility on average based on Wasatch Crest’s annual census.
Wasatch Crest officials said the facility exceeds the requirements of state law, but neighborhood residents argued the number of clients was still too high. Many homeowners have said they recognize the need for this service but asked for it to be reduced further, to 16, as it was when BeeHive Home operated in the building.
If the facility is approved, neighborhood residents want Wasatch Crest to commit to helping Utahns by maintaining a 50% population of state residents.
The Planning Commission will meet at 6 p.m. on Tuesday via Zoom. To participate in the meeting, join the webinar at https://summitcountyut.zoom.us/j/98189226475.