At the city council meeting July 6, Park City Mayor Nann Worel said private discussions with Deer Valley are ongoing, but so far there is nothing to report.
“I really appreciate personally, and I know the council does as well, the continued engagement that we have from the public,” Worel said.
“We have nothing to share at this point in time but we’re optimistic that we will in the future.”
Representatives from Deer Valley also did not present any new information.
The resort wants the city to give up a portion of Deer Valley Drive, so they can construct a ski village with restaurants and hotels that would fundamentally change the Snow Park base area.
To legally vacate the road, the council must find the action has good cause and will not materially injure the public.
Most Deer Valley residents who have given feedback to the council say the move will worsen their quality of life.
But Deer Valley leaders point to benefits such as more base area amenities like restaurants with apres ski options and a ski beach, a transit center, and a public park by the ponds.
An organized group of residents called Protect the Loop does not want the city to give up the road and continues to propose an alternative plan for Snow Park’s development. Their idea involves moving Deer Valley Drive under the base area and using multiple smaller shuttles to get skiers to the mountain instead of big buses.
Deer Lake Village resident Allison Keenan called for a new independent traffic study. She questioned the study conducted on behalf of the resort, which shows daily traffic increasing by a third with the new development.
“Empirical evidence taught us all this winter that peak p.m. traffic already has Park City at its breaking point,” Keenan said.
“Increases at the proposed levels cannot be sustained.”
Deer Valley Drive resident Kristin Gentile emphasized concerns about more people and cars in Snow Park.
“As someone who works at Park City Hospital, I am sometimes hampered by the increase in traffic getting to and from work, and I sometimes have to work on call - 24 hour call - so it can be a hindrance," Gentile said.
"And I just see an increased level of traffic and congestion with this new plan without any true alternatives as a real detriment to some of us or all of us that live on Deer Valley Drive.”
Area resident Sally Jablon called on the mayor and council to find a better deal for locals in exchange for the road vacation.
“Since Alterra took over and recently, especially now with this new plan, they forget that it’s the locals who have supported them and brought them to where they are,” Jablon said.
“As locals, we can be the biggest supporters in the world. But, once you start to take away what we have and start to make it more difficult for us to live here, then we can’t support.”
Another public hearing will be held at the next meeting on the project, which is scheduled for Tuesday, August 29. If the council were to approve the road vacation at that meeting, Deer Valley’s full project would then go in front of the Park City Planning Commission for approval.
Councilmember Jeremy Rubell asked Thursday if the council could put the road decision on the ballot. City attorney Margaret Plane said that is likely not possible due to state law.
