The Park City Planning Commission meets Wednesday evening and will review a new affordable housing plan it needs to send to the state.
Park City’s housing team has laid out a number of policy goals such as zoning changes to incentivize affordable housing, and housing assistance for city employees. All are aimed at both easing the area’s housing crisis and satisfying new state-level requirements established in House Bill 462.
During the last discussion, the planning commission said it wants to see local resorts get more involved in housing solutions. Their employees, many of whom work only seasonally, are especially vulnerable to the area’s lack of affordable housing.
There was also a desire to focus on households that earn less than 80% of area median income, or AMI.
According to the nonprofit Mountainlands Community Housing Trust, 80% of AMI for one person in Summit County last year was roughly $75,000.
The commission could recommend the plan to the city council for approval in September. Once approved, the plan would go to the state for review.
The commission will also review proposed changes to the city’s land management code on Wednesday. A proposed amendment would require at least one planning commissioner to be a land use professional; that could include experience in construction, engineering, or architecture.
That requirement was first proposed by Mayor Nann Worel at a July meeting after a local architect was denied a four-year term on the planning commission. Commissioners are appointed by the mayor but must gain approval from the city council. The city said it would reopen applications for the sole remaining seat after the amendment is approved.
Current commissioners Laura Suesser and Sarah Hall, both land use attorneys, questioned whether the commission needs the amendment at all, arguing that they would both qualify to fill the spot given their expertise.
The commission could modify the proposed amendment, as well as forward a positive or negative recommendation to the city council.
Before the meeting, the commission will visit the Homestake lot, where the city is looking at building over 100 housing units. That project will return to the commission on Sept. 28.
On Sept. 14, the commission will get its first look at the redevelopment of the DoubleTree hotel. That proposal includes 126 new market-rate housing units and 147 deed-restricted affordable units.
The Wednesday meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall. The agenda and link to attend virtually can be found here.
