The ski resort now has all approvals for its major expansion, which involves adding nine new lifts and nearly 3,000 acres of terrain by winter 2025-2026.
The lift approved Wednesday will pick up skiers where the Trump run meets Ontario. It will travel to Park Peak, where Deer Valley plans to build a new lodge and gondola connecting to Snow Park and the new East Village base in Wasatch County.
Referred to internally as Lift 7, the new six-pack will stretch over 600 vertical feet and slightly over half a mile in length. It's being manufactured by Doppelmayr and has a capacity of 3,000 skiers per hour. There will be ten towers, ranging from 19 to 52 feet in height.
The project also involves removing 13 acres of trees for four miles of new beginner ski trails. In a previous meeting, the planning commission asked Deer Valley to provide more information about how the resort will protect wildlife in the area.
The commission’s approval Wednesday included several conditions to protect wildlife, such as a ban on fencing and nest clearance for all migratory birds. A biologist is also required to do a site visit once the snow melts for further evaluation prior to a building permit being issued.
Five people spoke in favor of the new lift during a public hearing at the meeting. Several cited the new circulating beginner terrain as a major benefit.
Anne Bransford, who owns land that Deer Valley leases for the Trump and Ontario runs, said the resort’s plan is flawed due to the lack of width on the new beginner trail.
“We believe that this lift seven plan that they propose is unnecessarily conflicted and dangerous and we wish to offer our land to them by way of an easement,” Bransford told the commission. “A safer and more compliant alternative, but it seems their new partner and landlord won’t allow that."
Bransford was referencing Extell, the New York-based developer leasing Deer Valley the land in Wasatch County for its major expansion. She said last year her family offered Park City Mayor Nann Worel 18 acres on their property for a conservation easement, but it was declined for unknown reasons.
“Ironically, if Park City Municipal assumed control of the 18 acres, they’d be the ones engaging there with Deer Valley now in a legitimate public-private partnership around a better alternative.”
Deer Valley Vice President of Mountain Operations Steve Graff called alternative designs “a difficult thing,” and said the resort’s plan is within its existing lease and identified by their consultant SE Group as “one of the best alignments.”
Deer Valley plans to begin construction work later this year after securing the building permit, but lift towers won’t be installed until summer 2025.
