The Park City Council is trying to figure out how to balance workforce housing needs with other community priorities, like low density.
They discussed the topic at a study session Thursday. It was the first in a series of study and work sessions meant to help city staff establish an affordable housing framework.
The council agrees the city needs more accommodation for local workers. Councilmember Molly Miller worries area ski resorts and businesses will struggle to attract workers if there isn’t enough. Councilmember Bill Ciraco agreed, saying Deer Valley East Village is already impacting the city, especially when it comes to mid- to upper-level jobs.
“I've talked to Stein Collection. I've talked to St. Regis. They're having, you know, well-experienced employees being poached frequently now because of the hotels that are moving in over there,” he said.
City housing manager Sara Wineman said part of the problem is workers don’t want to commute to Park City when there are other options outside of town. She said much of the workforce also doesn’t feel like locals.
“One thing that we've heard from the chamber is that some businesses are having a hard time retaining employees because they don't feel that they are part of this community and that they can just go get a job elsewhere,” Wineman said.
She said a lack of affordable housing also exacerbates traffic congestion.
Miller said having more of the workforce live in town will support schools. The Park City School District has had declining enrollment for years.
While the council agrees the city needs more affordable housing, building it is a challenge.
The city wants to have housing for 15% of workers by 2032, when the workforce is projected to grow to about 10,200 employees. Staff estimates 1,864 housing units are needed to meet the guideline.
As of August, the city has 829 affordable workforce housing units available, with 172 under construction. That leaves a gap of over 860 units.
The council is working with developers to build affordable housing on the 5-acre Bonanza Park site bordering Kearns Boulevard and Bonanza Drive, as well as on 10 acres in Clark Ranch near Quinn’s Junction.
The city has received pushback on the Bonanza Park project from a resident group called Place PC for months. Opponents are advocating for various alternatives, including open space and an arts district.
Ciraco was concerned the council won’t be able to meet affordable housing goals due to this kind of resistance.
“My fear is, with a big number, we are not going to get the political support in town,” he said. “I'm trying to think of, how can we get to where we want to be without frightening the people that we need to support us to get these things done?”
The council asked staff to gather more data on how locals feel about affordable housing now to help guide future decisions.
Wineman said land is another barrier. While the city has parcels available to build affordable housing, many are difficult to build on because of the mountainous terrain. She said resident preference for low-density projects add to the challenge.
“There's always this catch-22 of it's great to build smaller projects, but when we don't have a lot of property available, we're going to have a really hard time getting to that 15% goal,” Wineman said.
The council identified land on Woodside Ave. where the senior center currently sits as a great spot for affordable housing.
Councilmembers are already working on plans to build a new senior center on the Mawhinney parking lot across from the Park City Library. They are aiming to complete it by 2029.
The council was in favor of starting housing plans on the Woodside parcel once the senior center project is fully approved, though Ciraco had concerns about working on so many capital projects at once.
Councilmembers plan to talk more about how short-term rentals and seasonal workers come into play at future meetings.
Park City Municipal is a financial supporter of KPCW.
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