In its first meeting of 2022 to tackle the base area of Park City Mountain Resort, the Park City Planning commission is slated to discuss its off-site parking and transit plans.
The developer, Provo-based PEG Companies, requested that January’s meeting be postponed in order to have more time to prepare. PEG and PCMR want to move the current parking lots underground and build condos and retail space, with a hotel above.
Parking, traffic, and transit have been widely discussed - and lamented - in Park City this winter. The city council heard nearly two hours of public comment this month that was largely focused on those issues around the resort.
In response, the city and resort announced new parking and traffic flow procedures ahead of the Presidents’ Day holiday that went into place last weekend. Those measures included a greater number of guest shuttles and a new traffic pattern around the resort base.
Despite the changes, the city saw gridlock for much of the day last Saturday, with many people reporting crawling traffic and confusion about closed roads, one-way streets, and where to enter parking areas.
Representatives from the city and PCMR will join KPCW Thursday morning to discuss the new plans and any changes ahead of Presidents Day weekend.
In a public letter sent to the planning commission ahead of Wednesday’s meeting, PCMR COO Mike Goar said the resort “remains committed and excited about the project.” The letter also included a proposal to park over 700 cars off-site by utilizing several satellite lots, including a yet-to-be-built parking area at Quinns Junction. A fee would also be charged to park at the resort base.
PEG and the resort said they’d retain the 1,200 parking stalls currently at the base area, but are asking not to build the 1,100 additional stalls required under the city’s land management code for a project of that scope. PEG argues that more parking at the base would only make traffic worse.
PEG and the resort are arguing that future parking fees and satellite parking options will encourage more people to take the bus, and city staff has indicated a willingness to consider the parking exception at past meetings for that reason.
The planning commission is also expected to discuss the possibility of scheduling a public hearing for the project for March. All meetings thus far have been work sessions, and no votes have been taken. If the project is given a public hearing, the proposal could be voted on.
Wednesday’s meeting begins at 5:30. The full agenda and details on how to participate can be found here.
