The Park City Planning Commission has unanimously approved two applications for the creation of residential subdivisions in Empire Pass.
The developments are part of an agreement that would transfer about 310 acres of land owned by Redus Park City LLC to the municipality.
Before the vote, some residents told the commission they objected to the maximum allowable height of one of the proposed developments, a four-unit housing dwelling at 8946 Marsac Ave. on land Redus already owns. The structure can be up to 53 feet above existing grade under an exception to the Land Management Code approved by the commission.
Steve Barsh, who owns property at Empire Pass, said landowners have a right to develop their land, but the Land Management Code demands compatibility with adjacent properties in use, scale and mass.
He said the project should have been compared to homes in the Moonshadow development that are on the same side of Marsac Avenue and less than 500 feet away. Those homes are 28 feet high, the height allowed for those lots.
“Future developers will cite this decision for their variance requests in height, scale, setback and mass,” he said. “This is not just about one project – it’s about the precedent you set.”
Barsh also has environmental concerns and said contaminants from two areas totaling about 12 acres that remain with Redus likely will migrate into adjacent conservation land.
Other speakers also said they worry about setbacks, construction on sleep slopes and the impact of a constant stream of construction and delivery vehicles. One resident said a 20-foot setback puts the building too close to the road and wondered where plowed snow would be deposited.
The other proposal calls for the creation of a subdivision at 9401 Marsac Ave. near a municipal water tank east of the Mid Mountain trailhead. Redus is proposing to build three single-family residences there.
The Park City Council voted in January to pursue a swap that would give the municipality Redus land, including open space and the Empire Pass, Mid-Mountain and Daly trailheads.
The deal includes water interests and rights that the company owns or could acquire, including the right to purchase Spiro Tunnel water, and ownership of several historic mining structures. The Redus property was previously owned by United Park City Mines Company.
Under the terms of an exchange agreement, Park City will own the water tank lot and the Mid Mountain Trail parking area parcel, while Redus will own the three single-family lots and a common area parcel.
To develop the properties, Redus, or any future applicant, must design buildings that fit within the approved parameters and get a conditional use permit from the Planning Commission.
The four-unit development must incorporate step-backs to reduce visible massing and the building footprint, foundations and footings are prohibited from extending into very steep slopes, which are slopes greater than 40%.
Cleanup responsibilities are overseen by state and federal regulators, according to the city. The Environmental Protection Agency and the United Park City Mines Company have already completed work, and the site is now in a post-removal monitoring phase, according to the city.