Council asks staff to explore options for 19 state‑owned Sunnyside lots for affordable and workforce housing

The Millford City Council spent substantial time discussing 19 platted lots in the Sunnyside Subdivision that staff reported are owned by the State of Utah. Staff (Mikayla, S4) said the state indicated any homes built on lots it retains would need to meet low‑income housing criteria (targeting households at 80% of area median income; staff cited an AMI figure of $73,500). The state also said it would be open to selling lots to the city or to private buyers and could consider phased sales.

Council members voiced strong interest in intermediate or “affordable” housing—residences that fall between programmatic low‑income thresholds and higher‑end market housing—because some local workers do not qualify for low‑income programs yet cannot afford market housing. Staff said options include the city purchasing lots and partnering with a developer, the developer purchasing lots, or the state splitting lots (some remaining low‑income and others sold for more affordable housing).

Council directed staff to pursue appraisals, return with cost estimates and examine contractual restrictions tied to state ownership so the city can identify phased purchase options or partnership approaches. Staff noted initial state‑provided price estimates (a figure of about $75,000 per lot was discussed in the meeting) were preliminary and that a formal appraisal and infrastructure inspection would be necessary.

Next steps: staff will obtain appraisals, clarify sale options with state representatives, and return to Council with 2–3 options (phased purchase, developer partnership, or retain as low‑income lots) for formal consideration.