Commission designates Hi‑Ute barn historically significant and approves adaptive‑reuse conditional use permit

The Snyderville Basin Planning Commission voted to designate the Hi‑Ute barn (the meeting transcript uses several spellings) as a historically significant structure and approved a conditional‑use permit for its adaptive reuse for cultural and educational activities.

County planner Laura presented staff’s review, noting the proposed uses (education and exhibits) were anticipated by the property’s conservation easement. Utah Open Lands, represented during the hearing, said it intends to rehabilitate the barn—repair siding and windows and make structural upgrades—to stabilize the historic structure and host limited, curated educational programs. The organization said it has pursued funding, including a multi‑million‑dollar community foundation grant application, to pay for rehabilitation and ongoing programming.

Public comment included a neighbor who supported the designation but asked that events remain curated and not become large or disruptive. The applicants and staff said they expect infrequent, small‑scale public programming consistent with the conservation easement and described the project as emphasizing wildlife and land‑stewardship education; Utah Open Lands also described plans to provide virtual content for broader access.

The commission first voted to determine the barn historically significant and then approved the conditional‑use permit for adaptive reuse, with staff‑recommended findings and conditions. Staff said the permit’s uses are allowed in conjunction with rehabilitation and that the conservation easement’s public‑use language contemplated such cultural and educational activities.

Utah Open Lands and staff said rehabilitation and grant‑funding are prerequisites for moving ahead with public access; the organization said approval of the conditional use would allow them to continue pursuing grants and begin planning phased rehabilitation and programming.