Park City is looking to develop five acres at the intersection of Bonanza Drive and Kearns Boulevard into a new mixed-use district with housing, commercial space and art elements.
Power lines run directly through that five-acre site. Park City Manager Matt Dias says leaving them would impact future construction on the property.
“There’s at least a 30-foot buffer on either side of these transmission lines that would inhibit any vertical development and a lot of surface level development, so by undergrounding these power lines, there is a considerable community benefit to helping us achieve our goals,” Dias said.
On Thursday the city council could approve a $7 million contract with Rocky Mountain Power to move the transmission lines underground over the next year.
If the council agrees to move forward, the existing lines that stretch by Wells Fargo Bank to Boot Hill would be removed. A replacement underground line would go below Kearns Boulevard and by the Park City Cemetery.
The undergrounding project could also help Park City relocate the Rocky Mountain Power substation, which has been contemplated for years. The council has shown renewed interest in moving the substation adjacent to Recycle Utah and the new Engine House affordable housing project.
Thursday’s city council meeting begins at 4:25 p.m. at City Hall. The agenda and a link to attend virtually can be found here.
