Staff outlines Snyderville Basin general-plan update, advisory committee and engagement timeline through 2025

Planning staff used the commission’s April 23 work session to summarize findings from a year-long community summit and to outline a two-round process to update the Snyderville Basin general plan.

Staff said the visioning generated about 10,000 points of public contact and yielded an overall vision statement plus five community-wide objectives: manage natural resources, promote healthy living, preserve unique identities, create inclusive communities, and grow responsibly. Basin-area priorities identified through community-area exercises included improved transportation connections, increased housing options, and elements that support community care; residents’ top values included trails and recreation, open space and community character.

Staff reviewed the state-required elements for a general plan—land use, transportation, moderate-income housing, resource management and water-use/preservation—and said the Basin update will add implementation strategies, timelines and census data to help measure progress. The planning team proposed a two-round public-engagement schedule: Round 1 (June–September) to clarify goals and launch advisory-committee recruitment; Round 2 (September into the following August) for more detailed feedback via surveys, open houses, focus groups and community-led events. Staff identified a key date: the countywide moderate-income housing plan is due August 1, 2024. Tentative milestones include a planning-commission recommendation in July 2025 and Summit County Council adoption in August 2025.

Staff described the advisory committee composition for the Basin as five members: two Snyderville Basin Planning Commission representatives, one Eastern Summit County Planning Commission representative, one county-council member and one at-large community member. Applications are expected to be open on the planning website with a stated close date of May 8; staff encouraged commissioners to complete a general-plan audit worksheet and to help recruit diverse applicants. Staff also noted that the Basin and Eastern Summit County updates will be structured similarly and that departments across the county are expected to use the community vision to inform work plans.

Commissioners asked about the advisory committee selection, the desired skills of an at-large member and access to the audit. Staff said no formal qualifications are required and estimated a commitment of roughly 6–10 meetings over the next year. Commissioners urged a strong baseline data analysis so future scenarios and trade-offs are clear to the public.

Staff said they plan to bring advisory-committee recommendations and draft materials back to the planning commission in mid-2025 for recommendation to county council.