Park City Mayor Nann Worel on Thursday delivered brief comments about discussions between City Hall officials and Deer Valley Resort about a concept for significant development at Snow Park, indicating in broad terms they are continuing but offering little new information about the discussions.
Representatives of City Hall and Deer Valley have been engaged in closed-door discussions for months with only limited information about the talks being made public. Worel’s comments on Thursday were some of the most significant that have been made recently even as she did not disclose details. There has continued to be public input, though, throughout the course of the closed-door talks. The opposition to a concept calling for City Hall to vacate sections of road at Snow Park, sought by Deer Valley, has been especially active.
“The council and I have heard the voice of the Park City community and their collective priorities loud and clear, including the need to mitigate downstream effects of the proposed redevelopment on our local community,” Worel said at a City Council meeting.
She said Parkites want traffic reduced at the busiest times, an expansion of regional transportation and more income-restricted housing.
“The council and I have taken this guidance from the community into our ongoing conversations with Deer Valley and continue to press for progress on these key priorities. While our work is not yet done, we’re optimistic that we are making progress on our community’s priorities as our city moves forward to a bolder and brighter future that works for everyone,” Worel said.
The mayor said it is possible details could be made public before the end of 2023, but she did not provide a firm timeline.
Deer Valley, meanwhile, also provided comments at the meeting. Todd Bennett, the president and chief operating officer of the resort, said the talks “have not always been easy, but they’ve been incredibly respectful and it’s been a really good process from our side.”
“There’s a lot of alignment on where we want Deer Valley to participate in the community and I think what you and the community and the council wants from us, so I’m grateful for that,” Bennett said. “And, as you said, the conversations have not been easy at times, but they’ve been very respectful and I’m super-appreciative of the approach that you and the council have taken.”
Park City leaders and Deer Valley are attempting to reach a breakthrough amid community resistance centered on the possibility of City Hall vacating parts of Deer Valley Drive West and Deer Valley Drive South, something that would remove the sections of street from the public road network. Deer Valley in an agreement would dedicate Doe Pass Road to the municipal government as part of the overall traffic circulation designs.
There are longstanding development rights attached to the land outside of Snow Park Lodge, where Deer Valley’s primary parking lots are located. Deer Valley, though, must secure another approval before work could start on a project. The concept calls for a remade Snow Park base with residences, commercial spaces, a hotel and entertainment. Large garages would be built to account for the parking spots lost as the ground is developed.
The current discussions about the road concept are crucial to the overall effort since designs for the project will hinge on the decision about City Hall vacating the sections of road.
The elected officials received more input on Thursday about the concept, including testimony from a City Council candidate. John Greenfield, who is seeking a seat on the City Council on Election Day, questioned whether the community after the lengthy closed-door discussions has knowledge of the possibilities.
“Nobody knows what the plan is anymore, at least in the public. And one thing we do know is the plans are changing,” he said.
Greenfield added: “When you have a bunch of good people working together, you’re likely going to come out with a good product. And so I just implore the community to have the same positive feelings and be patient and look forward to what the results are going to be, and then we’re all going to have a chance to give some input on it.”
The elected officials are expected to return to the discussions on Nov. 16.