Park City Municipal is partnering with developer Alexander Co. to build more than 200 units of mostly affordable housing on a roughly 10-acre parcel just south of Park City Heights near U.S. Highway 40.
Park City Heights neighbors have now formed “Keep Clark Ranch Wild,” a new group to raise awareness about potential problems it sees with the housing project.
The Park City Planning Commission heard from several group members at its meeting Sept. 24.
“Our intent is not to prohibit affordable housing development, but rather to ensure that any subsidized affordable housing happen responsibly, and that open space be protected where it is intended,” Park City Heights resident Jeff Iannacone said.
Iannacone said the planning commission should stop reviewing a rezone until other aspects of the project are evaluated.
The city council has been split on its support for the project, with two councilmembers against the proposal, largely due to its location.
John Greenfield, who lives in affordable housing at Park City Heights, said the city’s 2023 study of the land shows the site is unsuitable for housing for a number of reasons, including steep slopes, high construction costs and a lack of nearby services.
Referencing the state’s plan to expand nearby Highway 40, Greenfield also said a new frontage road to the neighborhood could add an unsustainable amount of traffic to the Richardson Flat area.
“It is a guarantee that locals, skiers and rideshare drivers will increasingly use frontage roads and adjacent neighborhoods to bypass highway congestion,” Greenfield said.
The planning commission did not vote on the project Sept. 24, but rather offered initial comments on rezoning the parcel.
A majority of commissioners said they needed more information, including a traffic study and geotechnical reports, before making a final decision.
The city purchased Clark Ranch in 2014 for more than $6 million. The property encompasses more than 300 acres along both sides of Highway 40.
Next month the Park City Council will begin discussions about a conservation easement on the land that isn’t envisioned for housing, in partnership with Utah Open Lands.
The planning commission will next review the Clark Ranch project Oct. 8.
Park City Municipal is a financial supporter of KPCW.
