A recent Snyderville Basin Recreation District survey shows people want more, open space and trails, adult fitness and off-leash dog areas. The Administrative Control Board approved a truth in taxation process to help pay for the increasing costs of maintaining Basin Rec services.
Snyderville Basin Recreation District Director Brian Hanton says they had about 400 selected survey participants and 1200 open public responses. In addition to more open space, trails, adult fitness and off leash dog areas, he says people want to see more pickle ball and single use hiking trails.
“So, there’s great community participation and with this our next step is our facility demand study. So, making sure that we have what the community needs based on population. And then following that we’ll go forward with our strategic action plan, which kind of sets our next five years in motion kind of in the way we want to do things.”
A facilities survey done five years ago showed the public prioritized three big ticket items. But, Hanton says the Rec District would have to approve a bond referendum to pay for building new facilities.
“There was the ice, the indoor field space and the aquatics center. And those items still, they didn’t come to surface as much through the survey. But we know there are still wants out there. Our issue, those are all $25 million plus facilities, so."
Hanton says other items on a previous survey done five years ago, have since been addressed by the rec district.
“Gymnasium-space, field space, outdoor lap lanes or swimming lanes. We were able to do a number of those things, off leash dog areas, Run-a-Muck was added. So, there’s 42 acres of off-leash dog areas. And we enhanced a lot of things that we have.”
Hanton says the survey showed people want more trail diversity to include directional and single use trails to help with ever increasing conflicts.
Control Board Chairperson Ben Castro told KPCW that two-thirds of the respondents of the survey were empty nesters looking for more adult programing.
The board approved a move to hold a truth in taxation to fund maintenance and upkeep on existing open space, trails and facilities. Castro says it’s been more than14 years since they’ve done a tax increase and with the growth in the basin, the demands continue to increase.
“The district was all shiny and new at that point and so what does capital replacement look like and what does it look like to do the maintenance on not only our trails but open space. Especially, the demand just continues to increase, it’s going to cost more money to manage and effectively take care of that open space as land-owners.”
Castro says they’ll present their plans to the Summit County Council next month. Public hearings will be announced after they go to council.
“One of the things that we have discussed is there is a maximum that we could go up to. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the administrative control board would actually use the maximum that would even be out there. So, those are some of the things that we are really exploring as far as the truth in taxation."
Hanton says there is no plan to propose a future bond initiative.
