Members of the Future Park City group on Facebook expressed concern about the Zoom building being prepped for Sundance, despite having its doors closed the rest of the year. KPCW’s Emily Means has more.
To qualify for a single-event liquor license, businesses on Main Street are expected to adhere to Park City’s vibrant commercial storefront ordinance. The code states that businesses must have an active business license or be open for at least 60 days each quarter. Amendments to the code, made in December 2017, outlined exceptions to the rule, including proof of repairs or construction being done on the building or the property being offered for sale or rent. But residents criticize the ability for dark spaces, such as Zoom, to cash in on renting out the space during festival season.
Park City Planning Director Bruce Erickson says Zoom qualified for the exception for this Sundance festival.
"There is a clause that said you have to be actively marketing the building," Erickson said. "So if we’ve made a determination, and I don’t have the answer, but if there’s a determination made that they are actively marketing that site, and you’ll recall that they put up the new working fence this year, they repainted the building and they’re actively marketing it; so unless somebody tells me differently, as far as I’m concerned, they’re in compliance with the ordinance."
Under the amended ordinance, property owners who have used a liquor-license exception have one year, after being deemed not vibrant, to fill the space with a vibrant business—or they won’t qualify for the exception again. Erickson says he might push to strengthen the vibrancy ordinance, but no action will be taken during this festival.
"I’m not comfortable with dark spaces all year long being actively marketed," Erickson said. "We had the same situation just down the road from there at 692. The Claim Jumper came into compliance with their art studio, so they’re moving ahead, but yeah, there’s always things we can do to make it better."
Zoom closed in 2017, after 22 years of business.
