A subdivision proposed between Summit Park and Pinebrook is irking some neighbors who say the hillside is important open space and wildlife habitat.
The proposal for 162 units includes 81 single-family homes, 69 townhouses and 12 duplexes near Kilby Road. Developer Glen Lent wants to rezone nearly 70 acres south of Interstate 80 near the Weilenmann School of Discovery.
Zoning on the property currently could allow about seven homes, according to county planners.
In providing some work force units the housing project would cater to homebuyers with lower incomes. The major development application is being processed under a set of planning guidelines meant to encourage affordable housing by allowing higher densities for builders who agree to construct work force units. Some of the homes could be reserved for those earning less than 80 percent of the Snyderville Basin’s area median income, which is about $93,000 per year.
But the project is proposed in the middle of one of Park City’s most scenic landscapes, Pinebrook resident Sancy Leachman said.
“They’re going to put another development in precious open space that will be lost forever,” Leachman said. “The view corridor in this area has to be protected against exactly this type of suburban development that they are proposing.”
She said she is against rezoning the land for the Discovery subdivision.
“Why in the heck would you want to rezone this particular area? The reason is the developer has found a landowner who wants to make a profit by doing that,” Leachman said.
The land is owned by Milton and Diane Weilenmann, Scott Anderson, Mike Milner and the Aldon Anderson Family LLC. The property has wetlands and a year-round stream.
If more neighbors knew about the proposed development they would be outraged, said Pinebrook resident Craig Eroh, who opposes the proposal.
“I feel that many of the citizens are not aware of what is going on,” Eroh said.
He said he recently went door to door telling people about the proposal.
“I was shocked at how many people had no idea this development was taking place,” Eroh said.
There has been more traffic in the area since the Weilenmann School of Discovery opened last summer. Critics are concerned about more impacts from the subdivision and county officials have required Lent to submit an updated traffic study.
Size has decreased
The size of the subdivision has decreased significantly as the Basin Planning Commission has discussed the proposal. The plan last spring was for about 207 units, which included housing for seniors.
The senior housing was eliminated because county officials felt apartment-style development was not appropriate for the area, according to Lent.
Taking some buildings and roads out of sensitive view areas also reduced the overall density, Lent said in an e-mail to The Park Record.
“It is important to note that we will be protecting almost 80 percent of the total acreage as open space,” Lent said. “This open space is critical viewshed property and will be protected in perpetuity from any development or future building.”
The open land would be available for recreational use by the public, he added.
“This open space is critical for future trail connections,” Lent said.
The project’s designers have also carefully considered the environmental concerns from neighbors, he added.
“The project will have two stream crossings, which are fairly common for development and are regulated by both the Army Corps of Engineers and the county to assure that mitigative efforts are made,” Lent said. “Old crossings will be removed and replaced with better more efficient ones.”
There aren’t many housing projects that are not within view from Interstate 80, U.S. 40 or State Road 224, Lent explained.
“The goal is to minimize the effects as much as possible by setting aside as much open space as possible, using good land planning practices and infusing architecture in the area that exemplifies a mountain community,” Lent said.
There is a public hearing for the proposal scheduled before the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission on Jan. 11.