Park City Council will hear an update on Tuesday from city staff about implementation of changes to the city owned Bonanza Flat area.
Park City Municipal City Manager Diane Foster reports that the city has had some victories and some challenges when it comes to the city owned Bonanza Flat property.
“There are some things that are great and there are some things that need improvement. What’s great is that the winter safety route that was requested by Brighton Estates that seems to be working really well and it’s signed, and folks are using it. The downside of kind of what’s going on up there is there are still a significant number of motorized users up there who are disregarding the posted signage. So, we’re in the process of adding video cameras up there and other things and working with Wasatch County on enforcement.”
Foster confirmed reports that city owned cameras had been vandalized.
“We are having vandalism happen with both signage and equipment so that’s discouraging. We appreciate our partnership with Brighton Estates, both Logan Jones and Heinrich Deters continue to work with the snowmobiling community because that’s one of the best ways is to go to the user communities and work with them.”
Bonanza Flat is owned by Park City Municipal but is located in Wasatch County. Foster says the city is proactive in resolving issues on the land but is turning to Wasatch County for help.
“We take it as a city issue because it is the cities property. So, we do take a lot of initiative on that piece of land. When it comes to the actual enforcement, we do turn it over to Wasatch County. We have proposed an interlocal agreement with Wasatch County on policing. That has not got through the Wasatch County Council yet but we’re hopeful. The Wasatch County Sheriff is very supportive of that agreement as well. It would actually give us even more authority up there.”
The agreement would potentially simplify patrolling in the area during the winter. The winter closure of Pine Canyon Drive makes responding to calls in the area difficult and time consuming for Wasatch County Law Enforcement.
“The agreement basically would say that Park City would patrol up there. We do have Officer Proctor is assigned to that area and he does spend time up there. What it would do is it would give us a little bit more authority to enforce kind of misdemeanors and then more serious offenses we would ask permission if we could enforce on the spot. Then it would be prosecuted by the Wasatch County prosecutor.”
Foster emphasized that although there are some challenges at Bonanza Flat, overall the individual property owners, the city and recreationalists have gotten along fairly well.
“I do want to say we’re not talking about the majority of users. We’re talking about a small minority who have chosen to vandalize and to drive snowmobiles where they’re prohibited but in general it is actually working quite well particularly with the Brighton Estates community.”
