A proposal for a mixed-use neighborhood intended for residents 55 and older is moving to the Summit County Council for final approval after the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission unanimously forwarded a positive recommendation on Tuesday.

The 8-acre Silver Creek property is slightly southeast of Silver Creek Village. It is currently zoned as community commercial, but Bridgwater Consulting Group, which is helping develop the project alongside the property’s owners, requested a change to the neighborhood mixed-use zone to accommodate the project’s residential units.

The proposal includes plans for 74 residential units, with 30 of those earmarked as affordable housing. All units would be for sale rather than for rent, and the market rate units would be priced “consistent” with the Summit County and Park City area, according to the Bridgwater Consulting Group.

The consulting firm did not cite a specific price point for the affordable units, but the development team emphasized the community intends to serve residents 55 or older. 

The developers said they couldn’t legally restrict who moves in based on an applicant’s age, but the development’s marketing materials would target an older demographic. Bridgwater Consulting Group representatives said the neighborhood will provide older adults with an opportunity to downsize and stay in Summit County as they age.

In addition to housing, the proposal includes 6,300 square feet of commercial space and 5,600 square feet for indoor amenities. The development team is also coordinating with the county and High Valley Transit to install a transit hub to encourage residents to use public transportation, and trail connections would allow pedestrians and bikers to travel to Kimball Junction without a car.

The market rate units would have subterranean parking, while the affordable units would have surface parking. The developers said the difference in parking is due to the site’s layout and that expanding the underground garage would be too expensive and likely inconvenient for the affordable housing residents because of its location.

Developers also plan to build a park and amphitheater on the property, as well as a geothermal system underneath parking lots and walkways to melt snow in the winter and prevent residents from needing to shovel.

County planner Amir Caus said the county already contacted the Utah Department of Transportation about the development’s potential traffic impacts.

“We personally took UDOT on the tour of the entire Basin, but more particularly that entire neighborhood,” Caus said. “They’re taking into consideration resolving the current traffic issues, which we know are great, but also future projects as well, including this project.”

Planning Commissioner Spencer Young praised the developers’ decision to offer for sale affordable housing. Young said he supported a residential development in an area of the county dominated by commercial businesses, which was a concern Planning Commissioner Heather Peteroy raised.

“I actually think bringing a little bit of diversity to that area of the Basin isn’t a bad thing,” Young said. “It’s actually a healthy thing, so I don’t have a problem with that. The focus on mass transportation and active transportation seems really well thought out, and it is going to be helpful to the residents that live there, especially the residents they’re targeting. … I think the positives by far outweigh any negatives that would bring.”

The County Council will decide whether to rezone the property and approve the master plan development document, but a discussion had not been scheduled as of Thursday afternoon. If the County Council supports the project, staff will work with the development team to draft a legally binding development agreement.

The post Mixed-use neighborhood for residents 55+ heads to Summit County Council for final decision appeared first on Park Record.

The developer of a proposed mixed-use neighborhood in Silver Creek is working with the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission to accommodate a new design that doesn’t necessarily meet requirements outlined in the county’s development code.

Columbus Pacific Development is requesting setback exceptions for a subdivision, commercial area and childcare center tied to the Crossroads at Silver Creek, an exception the developers say will allow them to build a better, more coherent design than the previous proposal first brought before the Planning Commission in 2023.

Setback requirements refer to the mandatory minimum distance between a building and the property line, often intended to guide aesthetics and provide privacy in residential neighborhoods in addition to ensuring emergency vehicles can access the area safely.

The Crossroads at Silver Creek development includes 72 multifamily residences, 24 affordable housing units and approximately 32,000 square feet of commercial space. However, the property is currently zoned for rural residential use, which means Columbus Pacific’s vision for the development will require a zoning change.

Tony Tyler, a Columbus Pacific partner and Silver Creek resident, in 2023 originally suggested the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission rezone the area to a neighborhood mixed-use district, more commonly referred to as an NMU. The developers then put their application on pause, opting to explore other zoning possibilities that would be a better fit for the project.

In a workshop with the Planning Commission last week, Tyler said he was now seeking a rezone to a community commercial zone instead.

He explained the reason for the change primarily involves building heights because an NMU allows building heights of up to 45 feet, which Tyler said was unnecessary for the proposed development.

As for the setbacks, Tyler told the Planning Commission he was asking for exceptions for three specific areas: the residential units toward the bottom of the development on both sides of the road and a unit on the northern end bordering the commercial spaces. He said the exceptions would help Columbus Pacific implement its latest design, which connects to the existing roundabout before transitioning into a densely populated, Swedish-inspired neighborhood.

The commercial space sits on the southern side of the roundabout with a connecting residential road to the west, which heads farther south toward the interstate and is dotted with townhomes and affordable housing units on each side.

The exceptions, Tyler said, should not have a meaningful impact on the residents of the development nor any neighbors because there are no adjacent buildings. Moreover, the exceptions would be on less than 2% of the property overall.

Tyler added the Utah Department of Transportation has one independent setback requirement for easement access that would only affect one of the buildings, but UDOT officials are already amenable to amending their easement access and entering into an agreement allowing an exception for the developers.

The Planning Commission also asked about the possibility of a grocery store in the commercial center, an idea floated during previous workshops with Columbus Pacific. However, Tyler said he’s spoken with most major grocery chains and that they’re not interested in opening a new location in the development because the population isn’t dense enough.

He said he’s still hoping to bring a market of some kind to the project, even though the business wouldn’t be a traditional grocer.

The Snyderville Basin Planning Commission didn’t make any decisions regarding the Crossroads at Silver Creek development last week, but commissioners were generally supportive of granting the exception, with Planning Commission Chair Tyann Mooney calling the proposal a “very thoughtful design.”

The Planning Commission is expected to discuss the development further at its next meeting.

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High Valley Transit launched in January 2021 as a special service district of Summit County designed to bring transportation services, and solutions, to the Wasatch Back.

Since then, staff have been focused on building the transit district from the ground up — providing 3.5 million rides in three years. But now that High Valley has reached cruising speed, it’s considering the best ways to sustain its success, build permanence and ensure the long-term vitality of the organization.

A major component of that goal involves moving operations out of the large white tent erected in the Ecker Hill park-and-ride more than two years ago and into a new headquarters on an 8-acre campus near Home Depot on U.S. 40. The three-building facility was originally expected to be finished in late 2023 after the groundbreaking in October 2022, but construction delays pushed the opening by more than a year.

A new occupation date has been set for February or March 2025, marking what’s expected to be the start of improved and expanded services.

“Launching a transit district is no small task. It’s a huge effort to get a hold of buses and mechanics and drivers and space and put together routes,” said Chief Development Officer Gabriel Shields. “To date, the lion’s share of the effort was focused on operations, and then the other side of our agency really has kind of focused on capital.”

Shields started with High Valley Transit in February after working as a transportation engineer for Park City Municipal for two years. His job is to deliver a $150 million capital program, including the S.R. 224 Bus Rapid Transit project and the new headquarters as well as the purchase of new buses or other assets to improve rider comfort.

If Summit County decides to partner with Dakota Pacific Real Estate to build a new transit center in Kimball Junction — or if High Valley Transit wanted to build one elsewhere, like Wasatch County — Shields would also be involved in that.

High Valley Transit’s new headquarters will support its mission of moving the Wasatch Back forward with sustainability and innovation by creating a 17,000-square-foot shop with space for maintenance work such as tires, parts, fluid storage and a bush wash facility, an 18,000-square-foot administrative building with the second floor dedicated as employee housing and a 31,000-square-foot garage with enough room for 24 buses.

It was estimated to cost around $27 million in 2022, but the expenses increased by $2.7 million when crews encountered bedrock during construction. They had to blast the material rather than excavate it to flatten the ground, pushing the 18-month timeline back several months. 

The scope of the project also changed to include nine apartments for High Valley Transit drivers and electric vehicle charging capabilities, pushing the total price tag to about $46 million. 

“It is absolutely no secret that it’s super hard to find a good workforce in Summit County. I think that High Valley has those same challenges that you know, there are a lot of really good, high-paying jobs out there, and sometimes money doesn’t buy everything you need. ” Shields said. 

High Valley Transit Executive Director Caroline Rodriguez considered how to build community, and opted to spend more on the headquarters if it meant housing nine drivers. After all, that’s one piece to solving the traffic puzzle.

High Valley received around $8 million in state and federal funds to help construct the new headquarters as well as a discretionary grant for several low- and no-emission vehicles. The Board of Trustees previously approved borrowing up to $18 million against sales tax revenue bonds to pay for the project on its own, if necessary.

GSB architects designed the facility, while Big D Construction handled the groundwork. Once the ground was flat, work started on the eastern portion of the parcel where a tilt panel building resembling a warehouse sits. That will be the bus storage facility, which is nearly finished. There’s minimal activity in the building as crews put on the finishing touches such as painting and installing light bulbs.

The maintenance building, which is concrete masonry, sits in the middle of the lot. It was designed to serve High Valley’s fleet of buses, but Shields said the transit district also realized it needed a different type of space for its smaller vehicles such as microtransit. The walls, roof and floors are in, just leaving crews to establish mechanical connections throughout the facility.

The steel-framed administrative and driver housing site is at the corner of U.S. 40 and Sego Lily Drive. This building is in the earliest stages of construction with a flurry of activity. Crews recently finished hanging drywall to close in the employee housing. The one-bedroom apartments have a living room and bathroom, plus a shared common area outside of the unit.

There’s also a large window in the administrative area downstairs, which is likely to be the spot for many family-style lunches at High Valley Transit. Currently, they eat around tables in a trailer.

Shields said the final component of the project is making site improvements such as installing utilities, parking canopies, trash enclosures and fencing as well as moving dirt. He estimated that 70 to 80 people are working on the job site now, but there were around 150 in the peak of the summer.

High Valley Transit is also embarking on a short-range planning effort to help drive the future of transit services over the next five years. The transit district is considering how to address gaps in service and improve productivity. 

For example, the 109 Snowball Express from Jeremy Ranch to Park City Mountain is launching Dec. 8 and other improvements are planned in the 2025 budget.

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A new child care center could open in Silver Creek as soon as 2027 as part of a two-phase development project in the neighborhood.

Columbus Pacific Development, PC Tots and the Park City Community Foundation’s Early Childhood Alliance are auctioning the naming rights for a new road in Silver Creek Estates near the junction of Highway 40 and Interstate 80 to help raise money for the two nonprofit organizations and benefit early childhood education.

The road would connect to a five-lot residential subdivision tied to a larger project, the Crossroads at Silver Creek, proposed in the area. The master plan development would bring grocery stores, retail, restaurants and residences to the area as well as the new child care center.

Columbus Pacific Principal and Silver Creek resident Tony Tyler is committed to donating the land for the center to be built. It could house a 4,000-square-foot building with dedicated outdoor space, parking and wrap-around uses, with the capability to accommodate around 120 children.

Tyler hasn’t identified which organization would utilize the building, although he confessed his heart is with PC Tots. Tyler sits on the preschool’s board.

“I’m interested in trying to solve the child care gap throughout Summit County, and it doesn’t have to be solved by one organization,” he said. “They’ll need to build the building, but we’re also trying to figure out strategically how to work with the organization to provide a capital campaign so that in an ideal world, we’d give them the building and land for free.”

While Tyler was going through the master planning process, he realized new roads would have to be built in the neighborhood. He thought it would be a good idea to kick start what could end up being a long-term fundraising campaign by donating the naming rights to the road. 

The road is a dedicated dead-end circle that will serve five new residential lots. Tyler said it’s rare for a new street to be named, and it’s exciting to see what community members will come up with.

The auction opened on Oct. 1 and will end on Oct. 25. All proceeds will be split between PC Tots and the Early Childhood Alliance to continue their missions. The “buy it now price” is listed at an aspirational $200,000.

There are certain requirements the new road’s name must meet including not looking or sounding like an existing street and not taking a political stance. Columbus Pacific and Summit County will use their discretion.

“Participating in this auction is more than just a gift. It’s an investment in our future. Imagine a place where every child has an equal opportunity to a quality educational foundation that will prepare them to grow, learn, and succeed. Auction participants have the unique chance to name a street and leave a legacy that will inspire generations to come,” PC Tots Executive Director Sue Banerjee said in a statement.

The Crossroads at Silver Creek remains an active application. The Snyderville Basin Planning Commission has been reviewing the plan. Tyler said there’s been some back-and-forth over designs and configurations, trying to balance the height of buildings with open space, parking and other uses. 

Overall, it’s been scaled down from previous versions with shorter structures, less density and more green space. The Summit County Council has final approval.

Tyler finalized the first entitlement phase of the Crossroads at Silver Creek project last week, which defined the lots and created the mixed-use development parcel. The second entitlement phase will create the master plan development itself. He’s hopeful that the process will be finalized before the summer of 2025 to break ground by next fall.

The child care facility would probably need an 18- to 24-month fundraising program, but Tyler was hopeful Columbus Pacific would simultaneously work on the ground infrastructure. 

“We’re doing this because we’re trying to help solve the child care gap in Summit County. The development side is what I do for a living, but it puts us into a unique position to be able to benefit the community,” Tyler said.

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In this week’s collection of portraits from For The Record, we asked students at Parley’s Park Elementary what they’re dressing up as for Halloween. (Tanzi Propst/Park Record)

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