Summit County Housing Authority Vice Chair Rich Sonntag wants to double the maximum size of accessory dwelling units from 1,000 to 2,000 square feet on parcels of at least one acre. It's one of three strategies he's proposing to address what the county's own strategic plan calls a shortfall of more than 7,600 housing units.

Sonntag, a former Eastern Summit County Planning Commissioner, laid out the proposals in a July 2026 article published on the county's website. They have not been formally adopted or voted on but are intended to advance into the county planning process.

The county is already moving on a related front. Summit County has posted a request for proposals seeking pre-approved ADU construction documents, with responses due Thursday, Aug. 21, 2026, at 5 p.m., according to the county Finance Department's website. Pre-approved plans would lower the cost and complexity for homeowners looking to add a unit on their property. The RFP and Sonntag's size-limit proposal are not explicitly linked, but both align with the Housing Authority's strategic plan, which identifies incentivizing ADU construction and deed restriction as a key strategy.

Three proposals

Beyond the ADU expansion, Sonntag's other two proposals call for exploring whether future public open-space acquisitions could include sites for affordable and workforce housing, and for identifying remaining infill parcels suitable for development along with allied organizations and financial resources to build on them.

"We can avoid (or at least delay) this approaching carmageddon," Sonntag wrote, warning that resort expansion will produce gridlock as residents, guests, and commuting workers all compete for road space.

The numbers behind the push

The county's Housing Authority Strategic Plan, updated in October 2025, estimates Summit County has a shortfall of more than 7,600 units and needs roughly 600 new units per year over the next decade. The Summit County Council has set a goal of 1,500 new affordable units between 2026 and 2035. About 63% of the county's workforce commutes from outside Summit County, according to the plan.

Average earnings per job in the county sit at $77,187, while the area median income for a family of four is $168,600. At 80% of AMI, affordable housing programs target households earning up to about $134,900, nearly $58,000 more than the county's average job pays.

The County Council earmarked approximately $250,000 for the Housing Authority in its most recent budget cycle, according to Park Record reporting from June 2025.

Active on multiple fronts

Sonntag has been busy. At the Housing Authority's Monday, July 20 meeting, he voted to support the proposed 216-unit Lincoln View mixed-use development on Rasmussen Road near Kimball Junction.

What's next

The three proposals remain at the advocacy stage. No formal vote or planning commission hearing has been scheduled. The Housing Authority meets monthly at the Sheldon Richins Small Auditorium, 1885 W. Ute Blvd., Park City. Residents can read Sonntag's full article and track the ADU RFP on the Summit County website at summitcountyutah.gov.