The new subdivision is called Country Haven, previously known as Indian Hollow. The project was first presented in 1998 for 85 lots on 230 acres. In 2008, the developers created the Indian Hollow Creek Special Service District in order to construct its own wastewater system. The development for 65 lots was ultimately approved 18 years later with amendments made and approved in 2019.
The project is north of the intersection of state Route 248 with Democrat Alley just before the Kamas city limits. Most of Democrat Alley is on septic service, but the county is hoping to one day move towards a public sewer system in the area.
The development is just over one mile away from the municipal boundaries of Kamas. Summit County Councilmember Tonja Hanson says the council last week questioned the applicant why not request annexation into Kamas.
“The conversations they've had with Kamas City is Kamas City was not interested in them hooking onto their sewer system, because they felt that they didn't have enough space, at that time, for an additional 65 lots,” Hanson said. “Now, I don't know if that's changed or not. But seeing that, the developer was not interested in going back to Kamas City to see if that could happen. However, we did have the conversation if something were to change in the future, is the system they're putting in adaptable to a different system in the future? And they said it is.”
Democrat Alley is just above the Kamas meadow and aquifer, which was one of the areas the county had hoped to protect with passage of the $50 million open space bond.
The council’s approval was for a Large Underground Wastewater Disposal System (LUWDS) which Hanson says could eventually tie into a large wastewater facility, if one is ever built.
"I don't think that the development along Democrat Alley at this point would warrant their own system, perhaps in the future,” she said. “I too was concerned that this big wastewater disposal system would leach out into the Kamas meadows, the Ure property that the county just purchased. However, this system is to the west. So, I felt confident where the system was located, that we're still protecting that water system in the Kamas meadows.”
In other business, the Summit County Council approved three different resolutions to provide basic 911 services for the Park City, South Summit and North Summit fire districts. A few years ago, Hanson says the legislature passed a law that mandated all counties and municipalities to provide basic 24-hour 911 and ambulance service to all its citizens.
“Up till that time, the county had been paying Park City Fire to provide 911 service to North Summit and South Summit,” Hanson said. “It’s been a long process, there was a special study done, a lot of debate on how we should be managing these types of programs. And it was finally decided by these fire districts that they should serve as their own jurisdictions. So, it was very exciting for us to sign the interlocal cooperation agreements for these three service areas.”
The Summit County Council also approved an ordinance that amends the Snyderville Basin and Eastern Summit County moderate income housing plans after receiving notice of noncompliance from the state. Hanson says some simple changes were made and the plans will be resubmitted to the state.
