The Park City Council on Thursday night backed a key aspect of Deer Valley Resort’s efforts to remake the Snow Park base, casting a crucial vote in support of an alteration to the road network sought by the resort as part of an ambitious vision for development there.
It was among the monumental development-related decisions made by the municipal government in the past decade-plus. The City Council unanimously approved an ordinance that vacates parts of Deer Valley Drive West and Deer Valley Drive South, which will remove the sections of road from the map of public streets as part of the overall traffic circulation designs for an eventual development at Snow Park.
The City Council also unanimously authorized Mayor Nann Worel to execute a letter of intent between the municipal government and Deer Valley outlining a public-private partnership addressing transportation and housing. City Hall and Deer Valley will each contribute $15 million as part of the partnership.
The sides negotiated the partnership in an effort to break a logjam lasting months as Deer Valley encountered criticism that centered on the concept of the municipal government ceding public right of way to the private sector. The vote regarding the vacation of the road sections was pivotal since the design of the broader project hinged on the decision.
The elected officials cast the vote during the final meeting of the year and during the last meeting of retiring City Councilors Becca Gerber and Max Doilney. The room was packed as supporters and critics of the vacation of the road sections listened to the discussion.
“Super proud of the way that we did it,” Deer Valley President and Chief Operating Officer Todd Bennett said in an interview after the vote. “We’re doing it the right way, so the city can grow and address the challenges.”
The $30 million in combined monies that will go into the partnership is expected to fund what the sides consider to be parking and transportation infrastructure that will be significant on a regional basis. The infrastructure location is expected to be in the area of Quinn’s Junction. The monies could also fund workforce or otherwise restricted housing there.
The partnership also calls for a 20% reduction in the number of skier vehicles that can park at Snow Park, from upward of 1,700 on the busiest days to 1,360.
The agreement points are designed to cut the traffic a development will generate. The traffic has been a concern of critics since the start of the talks as worries mounted about topics like safety and the flow of vehicles in the area of the Snow Park base.
“We’re both giving and getting,” City Councilor Becca Gerber said.
Ryan Dickey, another member of the City Council, described the agreement as a “gigantic win-win” that will reduce the number of vehicles in the community. He also praised Deer Valley’s plans for a gondola network connecting the Snow Park base with a base envisioned at Mayflower.
The mayor described the discussions as being about the future of Park City rather than the status of roads.
Deer Valley is expected to return to the Park City Planning Commission with a development proposal based on the agreement with the municipal government. The broad concept involves residences, commercial space, a hotel and entertainment. Large garages would be built to account for the parking spots lost as the lots are developed. There are development rights attached to the land where the Snow Park lots are located dating to the 1970s, when Deer Valley secured an overall approval to develop the resort. The lower panel will be expected to spend extensive time on issues like traffic, parking and the overall design of a development concept.
The months of discussions about the vacation of the road sections and then the talks about the City Hall-Deer Valley partnership drew intense interest from people who live or have properties in the area of Snow Park as well as from those who live elsewhere in Park City. Testimony over the series of meetings was split but tended to tilt toward the critics.
The mayor and City Council on Thursday received another round of testimony, which stretched for nearly 70 minutes and covered topics about the development concept itself as well as Deer Valley’s role in the ski industry. Some of the more than 30 speakers who testified on Thursday have repeatedly appeared at City Hall during the talks about Snow Park.
The speakers in support of the agreement included two former mayors of Park City. Leaders in the local tourism industry and the statewide ski industry also appeared at the meeting to express support.
Brad Olch, who served three terms as the mayor ending in early 2002, spoke of the $30 million between the two sides as providing opportunities and praised the public-private partnership.
Jack Thomas, a one-term mayor who left office in 2018, said the decision will “cascade” through generations as he expressed appreciation for Deer Valley’s engagement of the community.
Jennifer Wesselhoff, the president and CEO of the Park City Chamber/Bureau, told the mayor and City Council that the partnership between City Hall and Deer Valley will be invaluable in ensuring the future of the community as a world-class destination through sensible growth. She also noted the probability of a second Winter Olympics in the state.
“The time is right,” she said.
Ski Utah President and CEO Nathan Rafferty spoke of a need for innovation and improvement at resorts as he explained Deer Valley is moving in those directions.
Some critics unsuccessfully sought a delay in the City Council vote. There was also concern about what some claimed was insufficient time to review the agreement in the days since the late-November announcement of the partnership.
John Stafsholt, an Old Town resident, noted the timeframe in his comments to the elected officials. He also questioned whether the agreement was balanced.