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Show | | eae | household income count. If workers can’t stuck around 941, 000, it’s becomlive your community, ora eae : state and local dignitaries. EF 4 the ing ever more diffi| cult et, SORES DADS TO ogtie ¢ Soe atem SOLO Bs = ‘ ent Be cea eee improved J sae wn Ae the low income.” accord- . nn were also added safe office ~ South # is refur- and Charleston’s that roads they Tate Lane. August 4, the Wasatch County Commission _ prioritized be repaired. — The... ae phase of the $3. Governor Mike Leavitt, and John Njord, Deputy Director UDOT. _ million which project, began in SUC i notice the sewer = ie 3 Grant Thomas, V.P. Venues Transportation SLOC, eae ty have a _both in the types of housing and_ prices,” the says Pearson. “In the new economy, it’s the workers that count. If workers can’t live community, if _ they can’t live in the | Director community where Sore . : based affordability, the average family of four could afford about 60 percent or the kitchen, living room, main they work then your community i is going to wilt.” bath- family a home, but they can’t get in _ here,” says Heber City Planner Allen lies that make less than 80 percent of the area’s median income — about Fawcett. Fawcett is a perfect example of the to fill out an application, keep in mind county’s problem. He commutes everyday from Murray, and says he and his wife spent a year and a half looking for home they could afford before giving Last August, officers and county | up. Now, his family is building a home Officials submit- | in the county instead. So how did Wasatch County get in this ted a letter to = SLOC requesting © predicament in the first place? The short # ed access roads ~ connect the 4 venue with ... received formal— — munities diversity of housing, your ROBYN PEARSON chunks - communities are built on. Strong com- answer is that the area was ‘discovered. : Nearby ski resorts, two large reservoirs at each end of the valley, the promise of a $32,500. However, before you get ready that the authority isn’t ready to dole out the bucks -until it receives non-profit status from the Internal Revenue Service. Pearson says he has no idea when that will happen. The housing authority’s programs are financed by a $150,000 community _ development block grant and $120,000 in fees paid by developers who have opted out of the county’s requirement - that each new development have at. laid back rural lifestyle and an easy com- _ least 10 percent affordable housing. mute to Wasatch Front urban areas have ses The housing authority’s focus will be attracted the masses in the last decade. to get county residents into existing | | But the more complicated answer homes in the $130,000 and under range. - lies in the valley’s transition into a bedPearson thinks there is already a glut of © room community for Park City and the homes on the market in that range. Snyderville Basin and local resistance Fawcett, the Heber City planner, to affordable housing. Officials say says the city has jumped on the housthey often have to fight the perception ing authority’s bandwagon after an that affordable housing means cheaply attempt at “playing the market” failed. The city’s first attempt at providing built high-densify neighborhoods that attract poor deadbeats. — affordable housing by lowering the _ “No one wants it [affordable housing] | requirements, and therefore the cost, near them,” says County Commissioner for developers to build came up short. - Mike Kohler, one of the county officials _Many developers failed to pass the savat the forefront of the struggle. — ings onto homebuyers, says Fawcett, — _ Brereton takes issue with the perbecause they didn’t have to. People were ception that so often surrounds the still willing to pay higher prices because term affordable housing. it was still cheaper than Summit County. “The affordable housing we're talk- “We are kind of frustrated or stuck,” ing about is for our children to live in the community in which they were says Fawcett. “Playing with the market is not the way to do it. What we don’t farm. Guth fields at 2400 South would 1998, will be finished Spring 2001 be designated for the park and ride lot. when Valley Asphalt completes a chip- . At Soldier Hollow, a 5,500 square seal project along the roads. where. they “The good thing is that that they’re trying. They’re not going to hit a homerun every time, but at least they’re trying. see live in the community work,” he says. | Officials say that the misperception of surrounding affordable housing oe raised. It’s for our police officers and ~ know it what will work.” He adds, how-. teachers. I would like my police officer ever, that he has hopes for the housing 3 to live in the community where they authority. work. I would like my school teacher to Says Brereton of the county’s efforts, rays | { { CURR UY) newly construct- Td con-‘| : bished before the Olympics. The Stringtown Road is ' cerned that 2400 public and athletes into Soldier Hollow. Wasatch County Sheriff's for the general into “Housing is the pillar upon which So what are local officials doing about the problem? It turns out quite a _ room and perhaps a bedroom or two OF: bit. ec Soe: | The housing. authority. i is getting . hway 113 and ae Saproree Heber Valleyhome.. ee |... “A lot.of young families have ‘two | “ready to put forth a series: of programs, ~ incomes that should be enough to get a like down payment assistance for famiPasthddid. The transportation cut about the need for affordable housing. r | ing to UDOT. Parking lots and aid in transport (spectators towards Soldier Hollow on U.S. —— — _if homes could be. re -2 will loop eis they work then your community is going to wilt.” To put the mat-_ ter into perspective, highway _ stan- to the community where has “the worst of — roads, shuttle if they can’t live in to both worlds: high. building costs and roads were | widened and brought up to a locals Valley dream. In Brereton’s words, | Wasatch County - | NOW OPEN! which were for-_ - merly dirt and gravel. The #8. dards, for buy into the Heber UDOT and Valley Asphalt rebuilt § and _ existing median NIGER EPP - the tn nd eore and pen ae ing for $215,000 Njord and other attended opening. “In the new economy, it’s the workers that tye Salt Lake Organizing Committee Vice President of Venues and Transportation Grant Thomas, UDOT Deputy Director Johnsz ye ebrate the completion of this construction phase. Utah Governor Michael O. Leavitt, Wed. ve Xite sedi e P3t salute medalists in the biathlon and cross-country competitions. November 20,the ceremony began at 11:00 a.m. on Shuttle Loop Road to cel- ee pione in 2002 more than 320,000 fans will flock to the 4,000 acre park venue to a to Wasatch Mountain State Park’s Soldier Hollow Olympic Venue, where a he Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) hosted an opening of access roads | a T | Celebrated parame SHAW COURIER STAFF _came out when the Muir Fields project ae approved on Heber City’s north side. When the project was going “Wasatch County iis Jue fo per-. through the approval process, there fectly placed for continued growth. was grumbling that a high-density mix. This problem will get worse before it of duplexes, townhouse and single family houses was urbanizing the valley. feet permanent Day Lodge is being |. gets better,” says John Brereton, presiBut officials credit the project for constructed | in addition to the _ dent of the Brereton Group, an affordoffering new homes in the low $100,000 able housing consultant to communi-— _ Competition Management Building, ties throughout the state. range, a price that gives many that ski trails, biathlon shooting range and make at or below the county’s median _Numbers tell part of the story. For snowmaking systems. income a shot of owning. instance, in 1998Wasatch County’s SLOC plans to divide traffic into as That brings up the other conundrum growth was only outpaced by Summit many separate routs as possible. The facing officials. Many of the people and Tooele counties. Since 1990, the ~ “Olympic ~ family’—SLOC/IOC moving into Muir Field are from the -county’s population has jumped 36 peremployees, athletes and families— Park City area. Robyn Pearson calls the cent. media and sponsors will travel to the problem “spillover. ” “All we’ve done,” Strong growth means. aces: venue via River Road, U.S. Highway he says, “is help Park City s affordable 113, Tate Lane, Cascade Springs and | have been busy building to meet the demand. County officials approved 195 housing situation.” Stringtown Road. Spectators will travel dwelling units in 1993. That number Pearson is the county’s economic on Heber’s U.S. Highway 40 to development director and heads up the shot up to 504 units in 1999 and in the Highway 189. After arriving at the formed Wasatch County first six months of this year 148 units newly park and ride lot, which is currently were approved. ae Housing Authority. under construction at the south But with the He’s also more artic_ -fields/2400 South sewer fields, a bus average home sellulate than most Opening -. KIRSTEN HOUSING ~ CONTINUED FROM A1 teen Road Aces NOVEMBER 22, 2000 emer Scldiad biol WASATCH COUNTY COURIER » reek | Not every community can say that.” pine nti aabciate a eae! aaa aaa epee Se, ‘ AR ances RL I Suen |