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County attorney outlines Canyons development history, revenue and outstanding amenities
Summary
Chief Deputy County Attorney Dave Thomas gave a chronological update on the Canyons SPA: origins in 1998, the 1999 TDR framework, the 2017 amendment, current buildout, and outstanding items including a convention center and Frostwood power-line burial.
Dave Thomas, chief deputy county attorney, opened with a history of the Canyons development dating to 1998 and described how the project expanded through negotiated amendments and multiple property owners. He said the 1999 amendment added nearly 1,500 acres and turned a group of five owners into 37 property owners, which required a transfer-of-development-rights mechanism so density could be placed in the resort core without being constrained by parcel boundaries.
"We set up a process for a transfer of development rights between the 37 property owners so that everyone got a fair shake and compensated," Thomas said, explaining that TDRs were used so amenities could be sited where they made the most sense for the resort. He also described the CVMA’s role in managing public amenities and infrastructure and said the association was funded through a real-estate transfer assessment.
Thomas gave updated buildout and revenue figures, saying the resort core is roughly half built out and listing annual local revenue streams: about $15.8 million in property tax (county plus special districts and schools), $2.4 million in county sales tax receipts, roughly $2.0 million tied to the Canyon transit agreement, $3.7 million in transit-room tax and $380,000 in restaurant tax; taken together with other fees and state shares, he estimated roughly $45 million per year in taxes and fees associated with the Canyons. He also flagged several originally promised amenities that remain incomplete, including a potential convention center whose parcel is tied to the West Willow Draw pedestrian bridge and the question of burying overhead power lines in Frostwood.
Thomas closed by noting a long record of enforcement actions and litigation tied to some obligations but said most issues had been resolved. He summarized the development pattern aim—"tall, not sprawl"—and said future changes have been limited since the 2017 amendment, though some site-specific amendments are expected in upcoming work sessions.
The commission followed with questions about studies, enforcement benchmarks and how unresolved amenities might be advanced; staff agreed to produce or circulate the Canyons annual report and to track outstanding obligations.
