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Hideout will officially protest Park City annexation

Hideout

          The Park City Council voted in October for the annexation, which takes in the city-owned 344-acre Clark Ranch and land owned by United Park City Mines, including the EPA-supervised soils repository.

Park City Manager Matt Dias told KPCW the annexation would consummate the late-90's agreement with the developer of Flagstaff, which called on Richardson Flat to be used mostly for open space and recreation.

On Wednesday, Hideout council members heard from their attorney, Polly McLean, that Park City’s annexation overlaps into Hideout’s previously declared expansion area, which stretches down to Highway 40 at Quinn’s Junction.

She said that Park City’s annexation also abuts Hideout’s controversial annexation property line. The land is next to the prospective site for the Silver Meadows center planned by developer Nate Brockbank.

Park City certified its annexation on October 28th, so Hideout has until November 27th to file a protest.

Council Member Ralph Severini said Hideout should be able to guide its growth. But he said another option is to work with a new Park City council.

          “What I understand, they have a different kind of view.  So I’m really surprised that this kind of contentious approach, before the end of the year and they take office, is kind of occurring.  So rather than protesting, I’d see if this is an opportunity for us to work together with them.  So that’s what I’m understanding behind the scenes.   Is this something that we could at least say, let’s have a conversation together about how we’re jointly planning this area, and what we’d like to do, versus why they’re even stepping in here at this point.”

          He added that Park City could be launching a lame-duck annexation.

Council Member Chris Baier said she’s strongly in favor of a legal protest.

          “I think you guys are missing the point here.   We all wanna be good neighbors and have good reasonable conversations.  But Park City is deliberately rolling over, they’re just steamrolling right over Hideout, when in fact, we licked the stamp already in this area, and claimed it in our expansion map.    And then they’re just simply ignoring that, and trying to put their stamp on top of it, which I don’t think is right, and I don’t know if it’s legal.”

          McLean said after Hideout files its protest with Park City and Summit County, the county will put together a boundary commission. That will be comprised of eight members, including two mayors within the county.

She said that Hideout’s annexation was overwhelmingly approved in a citizens referendum last June. And while that annexation ordinance was struck down by Fourth District Judge Jennifer Brown, the town isn’t giving up that fight.

McLean said Park City’s action is ripe for a protest.

          “Cause it is part of our annexation area.   It creates island within, cause of what they’re annexing.   They didn’t even send us what’s called an ‘affected entity’ letter, even though we’re an affected entity, because of our annexation.  Granted the annexation, right, we’re under litigation, but as of today, the lieutenant governor has certified our annexation.  The referendum kept that alive.  Yes, we’re under court order.   But the fact is, is that we have, and we’re going to be appealing that court order.  So we have an annexation area that abuts this.   And they haven’t sent us even an ‘affected entity’ letter.”

          The town council unanimously voted to file a protest. Severini said he was in favor, as long as they made a concerted effort to reach out to Park City next year.

Mayor Phil Rubin said they can follow both options.

          “Well, we don’t have to be nasty about it.   But I think we have to be on record legally to state that, as I said, we see it as a conflict to our previously announced plan.   But we’d love to talk with them about how together maybe we can talk about what’s the right way to move forward with these parcels.”

          Hideout Mayor Phil Rubin.

Known for getting all the facts right, as well as his distinctive sign-off, Rick covered Summit County meetings and issues for 35 years on KPCW. He now heads the Friday Film Review team.