At a meeting Wednesday the Park City Planning Commission was asked to approve the latest iteration of the development proposal that would convert the old hotel into housing, nightly rentals and commercial space.
As currently proposed, the project’s buildings max out at 45 feet in height. That exceeds the 35 feet height limit established by city zoning and the developer needs a height exception in order to move forward.
The project team argued the redevelopment could serve as a catalyst to revive the Bonanza Park neighborhood, which Park City wants to make more livable and walkable.
The planning commission signaled its support for redeveloping the site, but members said the design presented Wednesday wasn’t sufficient. Commissioner Laura Suesser expressed concerns about the proposed buildings along Kearns Blvd.
“I fully support granting a height exception for this project, however, I don’t find that the buildings are clustered to create the least visual impact,” Suesser said.
Rick Shand was the only commissioner open to approving the height exception Wednesday.
“The community benefits and the architectural interest of the building and the project outweighs the height of the building that you’re requesting," Shand said. “In general, I am in favor of the project the way that you’ve designed it.”
The majority of the commission suggested to the developer that they’d be open to approving the proposal if the project’s height and density are moved further away from the road.
Over several previous meetings, the planning commission has criticized the project’s height, especially due to the site’s prominent location at the intersection of Park Ave. and Kearns Blvd.
When the project first came to the planning commission in 2022, the proposed height stretched above 60 feet. Architects have revised the design of the site several times. Under the plan presented Wednesday, the four acre property would consist of over 200 nightly rental condos, 60 affordable housing units, along with commercial and office space spread across several buildings.
Several residents spoke in favor of the project during a public hearing Wednesday, including Park Avenue Condos resident Tim Bittel. Bittel says the existing DoubleTree hotel, which was built in the 1970s, is reaching the end of its useful life.
“If this is not approved, that property will degrade,” Bittel said. “It will physically degrade, and it’s going to be at the most visible entry to this community.”
The Park City Planning Commission will discuss the proposal again at its meeting Sept. 11.
