The Summit County Council unanimously approved amendments to the Utah Olympic Park’s development agreement on Wednesday after six months of negotiations between officials and the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation.
The original development agreement was created in 2011 with the intent that the document would be revisited throughout the years as the Olympic Legacy Foundation refined its vision for the park. The agreement outlined allowable uses on the property, such as a hotel, employee and athlete lodging, maintenance facilities and ski runs.
However, Snyderville Basin residents, especially those living in the Sun Peak neighborhood, quickly opposed the Olympic Legacy Foundation’s latest amendments to the development agreement in October.
The proposal indicated the foundation’s intent to build a hotel near the base of the park in addition to temporarily closing the pool for maintenance work. The updated plans also showed blueprints for affordable and attainable housing on the property, which Olympic Legacy Foundation President and CEO Colin Hilton said were geared toward athletes, coaches and employees.
But neighboring residents said they were concerned about the growth of the park, the financial viability of the Olympic Legacy Foundation’s business model and increased traffic through the back gate bordering Sun Peak.
Hilton and his team have since made concessions to earn the County Council’s approval, including the removal of a ski run near the Sun Peak ridgeline and a “good faith” commitment to keeping the pool open during maintenance unless a closure is necessary for safety purposes.
The Olympic Legacy Foundation also added a back gate policy to the development agreement, which prohibits Utah Olympic Park staff from using the rear entrance for maintenance or construction vehicles unless those vehicles are unable to make the turns on Olympic Parkway. However, the foundation may still use the back gate as an entryway for special events as long as it obtains the proper permits from the county.
One of the parcels near the back gate is slated for the future development of affordable and attainable units to be used by athletes, coaches and employees. Residents in those eight units will also be allowed to use the back gate because it would be an easier access point for the homes, but Hilton previously said the Olympic Legacy Foundation has postponed the development of that area.
Olympic Legacy Foundation staff said that the version of the master plan included in the amended development agreement adds approximately 168 residential units to the property.
“We’re trying to make this a long-term, dynamic sports and recreation campus,” Hilton said shortly before the County Council voted. “I think amendments are appropriate to do over time, and I just appreciate your consideration for approval on this.”
The County Council made a few minor changes to the agreement on Wednesday, with Vice Chair Roger Armstrong suggesting a stipulation that the Olympic Legacy Foundation cannot change infrastructure to impede access to Olympic Parkway. Armstrong said he wanted the amendment added to ensure the back gate does not replace Olympic Parkway as the property’s most convenient access point.
The development agreement also classified the hotel at the base of the park as a low-impact project, meaning the Olympic Legacy Foundation will not need to seek a conditional use permit for construction.
Low-impact permits still require oversight from the county, with Chief Civil Deputy Dave Thomas previously telling councilors the biggest difference between a low-impact permit and a conditional use permit is the public hearing requirement.
However, the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission retains the right to hold a public hearing and revert to the typical permitting process if there are too many questions about the development.