The Prospector resident tapped for a seat on the Park City Planning Commission is an attorney who has long represented Park City Mountain in personal-injury cases.
Adam Strachan is the owner of a law firm based in Prospector that has for decades defended Park City Mountain and other clients in the ski industry. He is a former member of the Planning Commission, serving for nearly a decade before retiring from the panel in early 2018. Mayor Ryan Dickey appointed Strachan this week after a midterm vacancy was created with the resignation of Bill Johnson. The term ends in July of 2028.
The Planning Commission in late March started its discussions about a package of lift improvements sought by Park City Mountain. It was essentially an introductory meeting, with more detailed talks about the improvements slated to occur at future meetings. Strachan will have taken the seat on the Planning Commission by then.
Strachan in an interview said he does not represent Park City Mountain or resort owner Vail Resorts in capacities other than personal-injury cases.
He said he will receive standard training in legal matters from the municipal government’s attorneys as he returns to the Planning Commission. Strachan said he will decide whether to recuse himself from certain Planning Commission matters on a case-by-case basis and in consultation with municipal attorneys. He said it is unclear whether a recusal will be necessary regarding the Park City Mountain lift improvements, explaining he must first research conflict-of-interest rules, review the submittal for the lift improvements and speak to the municipal legal team.
Park City Mountain wants to replace three lifts. It is seeking to build a six-passenger lift as a replacement for two existing ones — Eagle and Eaglet. The resort also wants to put in an eight-passenger lift as an upgrade to the Silverlode Express, which currently carries six passengers.
Park City Mountain sees the upgrades as a measure that would assist with better managing the crowds on the slopes. The resort has argued that access to the Park City side of the terrain would be improved.
Strachan in 2022, as a private citizen, testified in support of the Park City Mountain lift upgrades during a previous process that was ultimately unsuccessful for the resort. His comments that summer were made to the Planning Commission and included praise for Park City Mountain for what he said was “over-mitigating” key topics like parking.
The mayor’s appointment of Strachan followed a different process than is typical for members of the Planning Commission. Dickey was able to make the appointment without a recruitment since the person selected would join the Planning Commission in the middle of a term. The municipal government in other cases holds a recruitment to choose planning commissioners, and a recruitment is currently underway for two other seats on the Planning Commission.
Strachan said the mayor contacted him several weeks before the appointment inquiring about his interest in serving again. Strachan said he is friends with the recently resigned Johnson and that their relationship influenced his decision to return. He said the commitment to a partial term rather than a full, four-year term was also a factor.
“It’s just not something I would say ‘no’ to,” he said about his talks with the mayor. “It’s a pretty big request.”