PARK CITY
WHO’S FUNDING THESE CHANGES?
Contribution findings based on publicly available information See: followthemoney.org.
80 SALTLAKEMAGAZINE.COM | M AY/JUNE 2 0 2 3
FROM THE TOP DOWN Legislation superseding local regulation signals futility of Summit County’s development fight BY TONY GILL
N
O T H I N G S T I R S Summit County
residents quite like a development debate. The potent mixture of NIMBYs, developers, profiteers, conservationists and more creates a cosmic gumbo of opinion, motive and messaging. The most recent battleground is Park City’s entrance corridor in Kimball Junction, where developers for Dakota Pacific have been fighting to rezone a fledgling tech campus into a vast mixed use residential and commercial area in the face of vehement local opposition. But now it appears as if all the energy thrown at the issue will be for naught, as the Utah Legislature passed a law taking the decision out of Summit County’s hands while gifting the win to developers. Essentially, language added into Senate Bill 84
at the last moment by Rep. Casey Snider—which was never discussed on the floor—allows developers in counties which are non-compliant with Housing and Transit Reinvestment Zone (HTRZ) planning to build up to 39 units per acre as long as 10 percent of the units are classified as affordable housing. Summit County was deemed out of compliance as they did not formally apply for approval of their HTRZ, which promotes affordable housing development around transit hubs. The bill’s passage effectively removes Summit County’s ability to approve or deny the rezoning request for a major development within its boundaries. “It might as well say Summit County on the legislation,” says Roger Armstrong, Summit County Council Chair. “Dakota Pacific has
ILLUSTRATION JENNIFER TERRY
Ethics concerns pervade the passage HTRZ amendments in SB 94 and HB 446. Dan Hemmert, who previously owned a financial stake in the Dakota Pacific Project is now a lobbyist for the company. He oversaw the transit zone development program as head of the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity until the end of 2022, and on January 18, 2023, registered as a lobbyist for Dakota Pacific. Casey Snider, who introduced the pertinent language changes received $4,270 in political contributions from the Utah Association of Realtors and $1,000 from the Utah Homebuilders Association. Utah Speaker of the House Brad Wilson has received $40,093 and $9,650 from the same organizations and House Majority Leader Mike Schultz $12,000 and $2,900 respectively. While far from the only lawmakers receiving such funding, it raises valid questions about who’s benefiting from decisions impacting Utah communities.
