Parkites are worried about the future of Park City, as we should be. The past may offer guidance for how to manage that future.
The issues and challenges facing Park City have changed over the last 50 years, although maybe not all that much, but what should not change are the principles by which those challenges are managed. Parkites who came to town 50 years ago made contributions and investments that followed a tradition of resilience and a commitment to a successful and thriving community that dates back more than a century. That tradition overcame a dozen tragedies that threatened the town’s very existence, from a fire in 1898 that turned two-thirds of the town to ash, to a catastrophic explosion in 1902 that killed 32 miners, to several crashes in silver prices, violent confrontations between miners and mine owners, Prohibition, the Great Depression and several near-great recessions, and finally to the mine closings in the 1960s.
My wife, Jane, and I qualify as both “old timers” and “new arrivals”, having lived here full-time in the 70s and 80s, returning for sporadic vacations in the 80s and 90s, becoming second-home owners for the next 16 years, and now returning as full-time residents. We are proud that our daughter and son were born here and consider themselves honorary Parkites, and that those children are now bringing their children here to enjoy this beautiful mountain town.
We have watched Park City change dramatically over that time, which is inevitable. It has gone through repetitive cycles of major change since its earliest day. But change is not the issue. Values and culture are the issues. The traditions and values that carried Park City through the difficult times of the past century-plus need to guide the future.
The history of heroism and endurance in the face of repeated tragedies should remind us all of how precious our quality of life is in Park City. It is precious because Park City is a community, not a contrived faux destination resort. It is a living, breathing, thriving community that needs to be preserved above all else, even, and maybe especially, when seemingly easier and expedient solutions could detract from that fundamental goal.
Our community and its quality can be maintained in the face of new threats and challenges, but only with wisdom and vision. Housing is unaffordable and unavailable, parking is inadequate, traffic can be miserable, and Main Street is inaccessible, but Park City is still a special place and can remain a special place if we focus on its culture as a community.
A couple examples come to mind. Traffic and parking could be substantially eased with high-end off-site parking served by express buses to both resorts, paid for in its entirety by both resorts. Such a plan would demonstrate the commitment of the resorts to be good community partners, as well as preserve the fiscal and social integrity of the current bus system for residents and in-town tourists. The proposed arts and culture district could be moved uptown, as described in the excellent proposal in Teri Orr’s recent column. Such a sweeping strategic re-direction would address at least in part the availability of low-income housing, demonstrate that the town is fully welcoming and inclusive of all Parkites, and strengthen the culture of historic Main Street.
Park City is special. It benefits from a remarkable combination of geography, climate, and history. Town leaders for 150+ years have made decisions (with a few notable exceptions) based on its core values of resilience and strength of community. They, and we all, should continue to do the same.