If everything goes according to the city’s plan, Park City will grow by 1,200 acres later this summer when it annexes into the Quinn's Junction area on the eastern edge of the current city limits.
The vast majority of the land is undeveloped, but does contain the seldom-used Richardson Flat park and ride east of Park City Heights.
Aspen Springs resident Bill Ciraco spoke on Wednesday and highlighted the need for a thorough soil study of Richardson Flat before the city makes a decision on the annexation. Until the early 1980s, the land was used as a dumping site for soil containing chemicals like lead and arsenic. That soil is found throughout much of the Old Town, Prospector, and downstream areas of Park City and is a byproduct of the city’s mining history.
In addition to a soil study, Ciraco pointed toward the situation at Kimball Junction, where recently passed state laws may necessitate dense development in that area, and asked that the city draft options for the Quinn's Junction area that could protect it from a similar circumstance.
“Given that that Quinn’s Junction [State Route] 248, [Highway] 40 interchange is the next best, or maybe even a better entry point to Park City, I think it’s important to preserve some optionality on what we can do with that land out there," Ciraco said. "That might serve Park City well in the future, and I think planning staff should take a look at that, do some analysis and inform the public as to what options there might be and how they might preserve that.”
City officials have said they intend to zone the land as recreation open space. That could effectively prevent development from occurring along that corridor, or at least make it more difficult to develop.
The planning commission was receptive to Ciraco’s suggestions and called for a soil analysis to be included in future city materials on the annexation.
Commissioner John Kenworthy added that providing options for improving the existing park and ride would be a worthwhile undertaking.
“I would support what Bill was just saying as trying to keep some options there," said Kenworthy. "Obviously, Richardson Flat has never worked and it’s kind of isolated and in the words of a city councilperson ‘sketchy.’ We would like to have something that’s attractive out there. Just laying some asphalt and calling that a transportation hub would probably not be ideal.”
Kenworthy was referencing Councilor Max Doilney calling the Richardson Flat park and ride “sketchy” during a discussion on a second park and ride project in the Quinn's Junction area in March. That project is currently on hold.
Also included in the annexation is the city-owned Clark Ranch property. The city council identified the land as a possible site for a future affordable housing project last May.
City Planner Rebecca Ward responded to a question from the public about plans for Clark Ranch and explained that only a portion of the 344-acre property could be used for anything other than open space.
“The majority of the acres are proposed to be included in a conservation easement, and then there is an option for potential municipal or other use for no more than 40 acres," she said. "There is no proposed development at this time, so the recommended zoning is recreation open space. If that use were ever to change in the future, it would require a rezone, possibly, depending on what was proposed.”
Park City began the process to annex the land last October, but the annexation was challenged in court by an adjoining landowner. According to property and court records, that landowner is an LLC associated with Larry H. Miller Real Estate and Nate Brockbank.
Brockbank is a developer with close ties to the town of Hideout’s ongoing efforts to annex into the Richardson Flat area.
The court hearing for that challenge is scheduled for June 1. The annexation will be back in front of the planning commission on May 25, and attorneys for Park City said the city council would not hold the final vote on the annexation before June 16.
