HB37 is a massive housing bill with provisions on affordable housing, developing a state housing plan and town incorporation requirements.
A draft of the bill Friday also included language that would have barred cities from imposing historic preservation requirements on buildings constructed in 1991 or later. It could have had sweeping ramifications for Park City’s historic Old Town district, which has strict development and design guidelines.
However, in the final hours of the legislative session Friday, floor sponsor Sen. Lincoln Filmore introduced a new substitute.
Sen. Wayne Harper was the only politician who asked Filmore a question about the bill.
“Does this deal with anything with any housing situation in Summit County?” Harper asked. “No,” Fillmore replied.
Fillmore’s substitute, which was approved by the House and Senate, does not include the historic preservation changes that worried Park City officials.
A separate bill that passed, SB340, could have local land use ramifications.
Bill sponsor Sen. Don Ipson explains the new law, which takes effect on May 7 this year.
“It does establish a process whereby a person who receives a credible threat to their life can apply to the Department of Public Safety for that threat to be investigated,” Ipson said. “If deemed credible, they can work with that department to create some additional safety protocols in their home and in the place of their business.”
As an example, Ipson said it could apply to politicians or “high net-worth” individuals.
As defined by the bill, a security improvement could include building enhancements that provide “safe egress from, or safety within, the protected property, including an underground improvement.”
Floor sponsor Rep. Tyler Clancy said SB340 is “fundamentally about private property rights,” adding that it involves a “rigorous approval process with local consideration.”
The text of the bill says that approved security improvements are not subject to city or county land use regulations, except regarding the exterior of a building.
Park City is generally opposed to any law that “interferes with local decision-making regarding land use control,” according to the city’s legislative platform.
