Henry Sigg, whose development proposal near U.S. 40 prompted the idea that led to the Summit County Council’s decision last week to approve a new neighborhood mixed-use zone, says he welcomes the news.
Sigg told KPCW News that the new zone is a good option as the Snyderville Basin faces the challenges of growth.
“I think it’s a positive planning tool for the county that brings us a certain degree of predictability as to where this can happen, the potential for this to happen. Again, this is a tool, and it’s not something that’s an absolute, these properties are zoned NMU. You have to apply, you have to process.”
County planners began looking at a new zone, in part because Sigg proposed a mixed residential and commercial plan on two parcels, with a combined 19 acres, east of Home Depot near the U.S. 40 frontage road.
He said it’s still a work in progress, but he is looking at 158 residential units. The plan includes about 150,000 square feet of commercial space that could include a grocery store.
“Almost anybody in the county would agree that’s a tremendous food store location, not only for separating some of the trip-generated traffic at Kimball Junction, and some of the in-town markets, but the sort of service and area that is really growing very rapidly with Silver Creek Village and Promontory and Trailside and corridors even going up towards Hideout,” Sigg said.
Before the County Council voted last week, Councilor Chris Robinson added language to the NMU zone saying that to receive increased uses and densities, the obligation rate for affordable housing would be increased from 20% to 50%.
Councilor Doug Clyde was one of those indicating his support.
“My understanding why we did this was that, among other things, we wanted to make it abundantly clear that 20% just wasn’t overwhelming compelling public interest, right, regardless of how you cut it,” he said.
At the same time, councilors said the zone by itself doesn’t satisfy Section 2.3 of the Snyderville code. That provision says the county will only increase net density if a project provides a compelling public benefit.
Sigg said his group will have to study the details of the project’s equivalent residential units (ERU).
Sigg said he didn’t have a particular timeline to get his plan to the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission. He said he’s massaging the plan and thinking about balancing the priorities of the Basin.
“Everyone wants to preserve open space,” he said. “No one wants deep canyons of buildings around. But there are some acute needs and there are some more concentrated areas that are suitable for development in the county. So I think this is a process, as much as it is, here’s our plan, go ahead and approve it.”
