Monticello may develop housing at Circle Park
by David Boyle
News Director
Members of the Monticello City Council heard a presentation about developing Circle Park into affordable housing, approved a grant letter to address the visitor center roof, and made progress on the agreement with the new hospital at their latest meeting.
Monticello city council members heard a proposal for developing the city owned Circle Park property into affordable housing at their October 22 meeting.
Speaking before the council Matt Loo of Ascend Land Consultants explained he was introduced to city manager Kaeden Kulow and Mayor Bayley Hedglin through Utah Governor Cox’s cabinet for rural development.
“I’ve done this in almost half a dozen rural communities. Five in Utah and two weeks ago I was up in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho. Again, a small community looking for the same thing. We’re looking at concepts, an idea to get you thinking about what could be done with the circle park property.”
Three conceptual plans were presented for review, with concept 1 being 15 single-family homes with two-car garages, each approximately 1,200 square feet.
Concept two would be a mix of townhomes, smaller single family units from 650-900 square feet and larger units, about 1,200 to 1,400 square feet for a total of 21 units. Concept three would be a high-density tiny home concept to maximize the property.
“Again, this might be an opportunity here to repurpose the Circle Park property and creating some workforce housing for Monticello. It’s interesting I was on the phone with Energy Fuels this morning with their expansion plan down there in the Blanding area and they’re looking at expanding and they’re into the same struggles with workforce housing.”
Loo added this is an issue throughout rural Utah,
“We have a lot of communities right now trying to bring more housing into their communities that fit the character and culture of the community and still comes under that threshold as far as cost. So it can be a starter home, it can be attainable, affordable, whatever you know words you want to use. So that’s kind of our goal as we go about and visit with these communities is just to bring what is needed to the community and not the opposite way around.”
Loo had worked for nearly twenty years for municipal governments in southwestern Utah, and added the project would aim to match the feel of the community.
The project would aim to keep the homes under the median price for the area as well as within a price range and size for homebuyers to take advantage of USDA rural development loans.
While the conversation was mostly high-level, Loo and city council and staff did talk about some difficulties including figuring out drainage in the area, as well as consideration to keep the city owned well on the south end of the property operational.
While the city has flexibility regarding ownership of the properties if they are developed, Mayor Hedglin voiced a preference that the city take in funds from the sale of the homes based on an appraisal of the property, with the Mayor also expressing a preference that most of the funds raised go towards other park and recreation opportunities in the city. The council informally seemed to prefer the single family housing offered in option one.
Deed restrictions would also likely be placed on the properties to keep them from becoming short-term rentals like Airbnb.
The process would involve public hearings and other opportunities for the community to weigh-in, as the concept is in early stages.
Members of the council approved a letter requesting for a rural economic development grant with the governor’s office of economic opportunity.
The request by the city would go towards re-roofing the city visitor center, additional funds would go towards repairing the digital sign, adding parking lot lighting and repainting the lot. Members of the commission unanimously approved the grant request letter.
Members of the city council also saw a draft for the city’s agreement with San Juan Health related to providing water to the new hospital until the property can be annexed into the city.
At their October 8 meeting the city received a report on the new hospital. While the property is currently outside of city limits, San Juan Health had planned to annex into the city before construction began.
After discovering the project and city annexation timeline would not align the city and health district agreed to have the hospital be built outside of city limits with plans to annex the property as soon as possible after its completion.
In the meantime, the hospital is applying for utilities to be extended outside of city limits, with the hospital asking for variances from the standard application.
Members of the council reviewed a draft of the agreement likely to be approved at the next city council meeting.
Part of the agreement includes that the utility rates for the hospital will be the same rate as properties within city boundaries, and hospital obligations to apply for annexation around the time of the project completion.
Members of the council also got an update on issues selling Jet A fuel at the city airport. While the system for the Jet A fuel has been repaired, the quality of the fuel is in question due to it sitting unused for some time.
Kulow explained the city could test the fuel at a cost of $3,000-$5,000 or try to empty and refill the 6,000 gallon tank with fuel costing under $3.89 a gallon. Members of the council leaned towards testing the fuel in order to make an informed decision.
Kulow also shared that the city was investigating an opportunity to purchase equipment for the garbage truck, as well as working with Southeastern Utah Regional Development Agency (SERDA) for a brownfield grant study, that would assess the feasibility of upgrading certain buildings in the city.
The city also made plans to turn on the city ball field lights on Halloween night to give additional lighting as children trick or treat.
Members of the council also made plans for future meetings including public hearings in November for Community Development Block Grant applications and a presentation from Hideout Golf Pro Jeff Simon with end of year numbers.