The Park City Council has a new option for how to develop what is known as the Gordo property: a mixed-use neighborhood with 200 housing units, 1,500 underground parking stalls (China Bridge is 595 spaces), a transit hub, along with space for retail, recreation and child care.
Nestled between PC Hill, state Route 248 and Quinn’s Junction, the city owns the land that was briefly considered for use as a soil repository.
The city is getting $15 million from Deer Valley Resort to build a transportation facility along state Route 248, as part of a deal negotiated for the ski area’s Snow Park development.
The money could be applied to the project but opinions from councilmembers were mixed Thursday.
Ryan Dickey, Jeremy Rubell and Tana Toly expressed support for the initial village concept. While Dickey said he’d like to see less market-rate housing, he said it could help make the project financially viable.
Toly stressed the need to get feedback from residents and Ed Parigian said he’d need that input before deciding how to move forward.
“One of the big things I have a problem with is this is one of the big entry points to town,” Parigian said. “A lot of people think that hill is beautiful… I don’t want to use this place as an excuse to spend the $15 million from Deer Valley.”
Bill Ciraco questioned if the village development would ease traffic on state Route 248.
“We should expect, at peak time, 1,500 cars in there,” Ciraco said. “Those cars are going to arrive between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m., they’re going to leave between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. for the most part. How do we get 1,500 cars out of there across 248 heading back towards Highway 40 without causing issues for cars leaving Park City coming from the west on 248, from people coming in and out of Park City Heights? So I’ve got some issues with a large parking capture at that site.”
Ciraco expressed interest in a separate concept presented Thursday for a new public works facility on the Gordo property.
“Where we have housing on site for our needs, for snow plow drivers, for bus drivers, which has been one of our big recruiting hurdles,” he said.
Former city council candidate John Greenfield, who lives in the Park City Heights neighborhood close to the land, criticized any plan for a parking facility.
“The terrifying part for me is the notion that this effort really has not much to do with truly alleviating traffic congestion, which should be its primary purpose,” Greenfield said. “We know where the traffic really comes from, and it’s caused by an influx and outflux of workers, not skiers. Positioning the park-and-ride near the intersection of highways 40 and 248 would be more beneficial for workers and visitors converging from different directions as it minimizes the need for them to endure heavy traffic for a mile to get to Gordo.”
For now, the city is moving forward with plans to remediate contaminated soil on the Gordo property, which will allow for future development when the council makes a final decision.
