In the center of town, the 200-acre neighborhood is bordered by Park Avenue, Kearns Boulevard and Deer Valley Drive.
The plan’s approval comes after Park City solicited feedback from more than 1,500 residents through community meetings and online surveys about the future of Bonanza Park. Responses showed strong support for more local gathering spaces, more affordable housing and enhanced bike and pedestrian connections.
The small area plan sets the stage for the city to create new land management codes governing what developers can build.
The plan’s major recommendation is to create a new mixed-use zone for the neighborhood. That would preserve the existing 35-foot height limit for buildings. However, developers could go up to 45 feet if they provide defined community benefits.
The Park City Planning Commission can now consider what the community benefits should be. Ideas include underground parking, affordable housing or open space. Planning commission chair Sarah Hall said residents can continue to give input.
“Like with any code amendment, there will be a significant public process,” Hall said. “The planning commission will hold work sessions and then it will eventually move to a regular agenda with public notice for public hearings. At that point, if there is a recommendation from planning commission, it will then go to city council and be a part of that public process for public input as well.”
The planning commission did the brunt of the work fine tuning the small area plan, before sending it to the city council for final approval.
“It’s pretty unusual, and I’ve been on planning commission for a long time, to have unanimous consensus from the planning commission to forward a positive recommendation, especially for something so impactful as the Bonanza Park small area plan,” Hall said. “I think that speaks volumes to the fact that there was such clear community engagement and consensus among the community.”
Hall encourages residents to check out the full 100-page plan.
