When a development team from Alexander Company presented updated designs for housing near Park City Heights Wednesday, planning commissioners thought they went a little too big.
Park City Planning Commissioner Bill Johnson told the project managers they didn’t set buildings back far enough from adjacent open space. He says that effectively means the design takes up more acreage than he’s comfortable with.
“We purchased with our funds open space, 344 acres, and we're essentially giving you 10 acres of developable acres, but you're carving out areas and taking and encroaching on our open space,” Johnson said.
Commissioners John Frontero and Henry Sigg agreed. Sigg recommended cutting the amount of housing, since Park City Municipal is donating the land.
Alexander Co.’s designs also must include a stormwater retention pond, which the developer doesn’t currently count as part of the 10 acres.
“I do think you have almost an impossible task,” Frontero told the developer. “The direction was to fit a medium-density project — 150 to 200 units — in 10 acres, and build a retention pond, and make it work for [low income housing tax credits] and … it's a very difficult task.”
The developer’s latest unit mix is 34 market-rate for-sale units and 167 affordable rentals for area workforce.
The planning commission will have a third meeting on the potential public-private partnership between Park City Municipal and Alexander Co. Nov. 12.
Debate over the project is unfolding under close public scrutiny.
Neighbors in Park City Heights formed an opposition group last month, and some spoke out against the project again at Wednesday’s meeting.
Their main concerns have been traffic and impacts to the environment, as indicated by the group’s name, Keep Clark Ranch Wild.
As proposed, the development requires a rezone, subdividing the land, master plan and conditional use permit. The Park City Council has the final say on a rezone, but subdivision, the master plan and CUP is up to the planning commission.
Park City Municipal is a financial supporter of KPCW.
