The developers wanting to build a movie studio at Quinn’s Junction agreed to push back by 30 days a deadline for a critical vote at City Hall that will determine whether the project is situated inside the Park City limits or in unincorporated Summit County.
Quinn’s Junction Partnership is locked in talks with the Park City Planning Commission about the project, which would be placed on 29 acres of land at the southwest corner of the U.S. 40-S.R. 248 interchange. The land sits just outside the city limits, and an agreement between the developer and the County Courthouse calls for Quinn’s Junction Partnership to attempt to annex the land into Park City.
An earlier decision by the Park City Council required the elected officials cast a vote on the annexation request by April 25. It allocated 90 days for discussions. Annexations, though, typically take much longer to process. The Planning Commission must make a recommendation to the City Council. The elected officials are not bound by the lower panel’s recommendation, but they cannot start their deliberations about the project until the Planning Commission forwards it to them.
Some Planning Commissioners have expressed deep concerns about the project, which would encompass 374,000 square feet of development. It would be anchored by the movie studio and also include a hotel, an entertainment center and a digital-media center. They have indicated they are unsure whether a project of that sort is appropriate for an entryway location.
There has also been Planning Commission frustration with the 90-day timeline. Discussions and hearings sometimes stretch for more than a year or longer before the panel is prepared to vote on a matter like an annexation. One of the members of the Planning Commission, Adam Strachan, said the 90 days were not enough as he spoke about the timeline during a February meeting.
The deadline was recently extended to May 25 as it appeared the Planning Commission might not be prepared to make its recommendation in time for the original April 25 deadline for a City Council vote.
A City Hall report issued in anticipation of a Wednesday meeting of the Planning Commission outlines a timeline that has the City Council voting on May 24, the day before the deadline.
The Planning Commission on Wednesday is scheduled to continue its discussions about the project at a meeting starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Marsac Building. A hearing is also scheduled.