Summit County, Utah (December 2, 2021) — At the November 29 County Council meeting, Summit County Council approved the RAP Tax Recreation Committee’s recommendations for a special bond grant program, including $1.1 million for a new outdoor Sports Complex jointly proposed by North Summit Recreation Special Service District (NSRSSD) North and Summit County. Bond funds will be supplemented for this project by $2 million from the County’s Restaurant Tax Fund balance.
The sports complex proposal, a response to community input, features the following amenities in one, central location at Beacon Hill Park:
- Two artificial turf softball fields.
- An artificial turf soccer/multipurpose field.
- New scoreboards and fencing for fields.
- Pickleball courts and a basketball court.
- Field bleachers, concessions facilities, and a storage building at the North Summit Recreation property.
“This project represents a major step forward in community recreation opportunities for the North Summit Area,” North Summit Recreation Special Service District General Manager Amanda Pace said. “Our residents have dreamed of these facilities for years. Now we can make them a reality. We are grateful for the collaboration and support of Summit County and the RAP Tax Recreation Committee to make this possible.”
The approved proposal also includes improvements to the County Fairgrounds that involve the demolition of existing softball field, tennis, and basketball courts to create a large, open multi-purpose field for organized and unorganized recreation, sports tournaments, County Fair programming, school activities, concerts, and other events. The project includes significant parking improvements, new field lights, benches and updated landscaping as well.
It is important to note that all new amenities will be built on NSSRSD property at Beacon Hill Park before the old ones are removed.
The RAP Tax Committee noted in its Staff Report to Council on Monday that because the North Summit area is seeing rapid growth, the desire to provide community recreational facilities is high. The Committee recommended allocating a larger proportion of the 2021 funding cycle to North Summit to help establish local amenities able to serve local participation and population growth.
The project is scheduled to begin in January 2022 with the selection of a landscape architect. Groundbreaking is tentatively slated for Summer 2022 and project completion by December 2023. RAP Tax bond funds have to be spent within 24 months of receipt.
The RAP Tax, a one-tenth percent (0.10%) sales tax in Summit County used for the purpose of funding arts and recreation programs, was most recently renewed by the voters in 2020. Summit County elected to use the proceeds to support a bond in the amount of $8.8 million to facilitate the creation and improvement of major capital facilities. A full breakdown of the Committee’s final and approved funding recommendations can be found here.