Summit County Housing Authority Vice Chair Rich Sonntag wants the county to carve workforce housing from conservation easements and rezone public parcels, targeting the roughly 21,000 workers who commute into the county daily for hospitality, government, and school district jobs.

Sonntag outlined two strategies in a county newsletter published Thursday, July 23, beyond the ADU expansion we reported July 24.

Overlay zones on conservation easements

Voters have approved open-space bonds that preserved much of the county's remaining developable land under conservation easements. Sonntag's first proposal: carve out the compound portions of former ranches acquired through bargain purchases with public and private money, then designate those compounds as "housing overlay" zones for clustered workforce development.

The sites he envisions sit next to existing neighborhoods, are served by public utilities, lie near transit, and have access to shopping and services, The Park Record reported Wednesday, July 29.

No specific parcels are named.

Rezoning underutilized public parcels

The Housing Authority is already identifying infill parcels owned by school districts, fire districts, and state and county agencies. Under this strategy, those entities would rezone their land for affordable housing — school districts building homes for teachers, fire districts for firefighters.

"The Housing Authority might serve as the catalyst in helping these owners work with planning/zoning authorities, funding sources (both public and private), and construction partners (such as Habitat for Humanity) who can help achieve their goals most cost effectively," Sonntag wrote.

Housing shortfall

The Housing Authority, established by the Summit County Council in late 2024, has a goal of 1,500 affordable units by 2035. That target covers roughly one-fifth of the county's estimated 7,600-home shortfall, according to a TownLift report from April.

Eastern Summit County has no small-lot or multifamily zoning, which Sonntag identifies as a gap that makes his proposals and the separate ADU size increase especially relevant there.

Sonntag warned that letting the commuting status quo continue is not sustainable. "This won't work in the long run, as the continued expansion of our resorts will ultimately lead to complete local gridlock as residents, resort guests, and commuting workforce all hit the roads at once," he wrote.

These proposals reflect Sonntag's personal views, not a formal position of the Housing Authority. The county has separately posted a request for proposals seeking pre-approved ADU construction plans, with an August 21 deadline, an $85,000 budget, and a target of at least four plan sets ready by March 2027. Residents can track the Housing Authority's next meeting date at summitcountyutah.gov.