The Park City Planning Commission will continue its review of a mixed-use development proposal for the 5-acre Bonanza Park to ensure it meets city code. It will revisit the project Aug. 12 during a public meeting.
As proposed, the site would include 106 residential units, including 88 affordable. The ground floor of each building would have commercial facilities, including a restaurant, cafe and arts spaces.
About two acres in the center of the site — or 62% — are set aside as open space, with a small amphitheater, playground, and lawn space.
Since its first look at the proposal in June, the commission has focused on building height. Six of the seven buildings are above the zoned 35-foot maximum and above the 40-foot exception allowed for gables.
In July, Stephen Swisher with GTS Development said the decorative additions are a nod to Park City mining roots, but add five feet.
Swisher said the site’s slope is also an issue. With a 120-foot-long building, said one end can be below the maximum and the other won’t. He said it’s also difficult to fit a commercial and two residential floors under 35 feet.
“It is my opinion that some of these code requirements were really not anticipating larger projects,” Swisher said. “We're not trying to make the buildings taller because we want to have some grand architectural expression. It's sort of like sloped ground plus what it takes to stack those things up.”
The commission hasn’t decided whether the height is acceptable. Commission Chair Christin Van Dine told KPCW July 17 the group is always concerned about height in town, especially at an entry corridor.
“We always emphasize having a project that fits the site, not make the site fit the plan,” she said on KPCW’s Local News Hour.
The commission will also review a traffic and parking mitigation plan Aug. 12. As the site is on the corner of two busy roads, the plan recommends separating pedestrians and bikes from cars as well as improving road connections to the nearby Munchkin and Homestake roads.
The proposed site’s parking garage has 280 stalls and two entrances and exits. Staff has some concerns about a garage entrance on Kearns Boulevard, which the commission may discuss.
Van Dine said the meeting will also include opportunities for public comment.
“We always love when we can get public participation,” she said. “We're looking at it through the land management code. So feedback that really kind of addresses that is the most helpful.”
Van Dine said locals can speak in person or virtually or email comments directly to the commission.
Park City Municipal is a financial supporter of KPCW.
