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County staff present general‑plan engagement results: open space and housing top concerns
Summary
Planning staff summarized survey responses collected as part of Snyderville Basin and Eastern Summit County general‑plan updates. The public prioritized open space preservation, traffic management (basin), and more housing options; staff described grant support for a new state‑required water use element.
Jennifer Leslie, planning staff for Summit County, presented results of two public surveys and related outreach being used to update the Snyderville Basin and Eastern Summit County general plans. Leslie said the county received roughly 400 survey responses across both areas, with about 50 on the East Side.
"We are currently updating both of the general plans in Summit County," Leslie said, and described that the basin update will be more of a refresh while the Eastern plan may receive a larger overhaul. Staff noted they expect plan adoptions to occur by the end of the year and emphasized the state requirement that a new water use element be adopted by Dec. 30, 2025.
Key findings Leslie summarized include: widespread community concern about preserving open space; traffic as a prominent worry in the Snyderville Basin; interest in more housing options (including support for apartments and condominiums on the East Side); and strong community preference to locate new housing near existing commercial or residential areas rather than outward sprawl. Leslie also said survey respondents tended to view the term "development" negatively even while they believed county staff and elected officials view development positively, suggesting a communications gap between residents and government.
Leslie described engagement methods (in‑person and virtual open houses, tabling, online comment form) and noted technical resources the county secured: a small grant from the Division of Water Rights to support the water use element and approximately 100 technical hours from Western Resource Advocates. Staff said preliminary drafts will be written and work‑shopped with advisory committees, then presented to planning commissions and the county council in subsequent work sessions and public hearings.
Officials asked about sample size and timing. Leslie confirmed the roughly 400 total responses and said staff would prepare follow‑up, more specific engagement to drill into questions raised by the survey (for example, what people mean when they request "housing options").
