The Park City Planning Commission forwarded long-awaited recommendations to city council at their meeting this week.
The discussions around dark sky regulations and nightly rentals in Park City have gone on for months. On Wednesday night, the planning commission finally cast votes on the issues, forwarding positive recommendations to city council for both measures.
The dark sky amendments to Park City code discussed on Wednesday included aligning city policy with Summit County’s current regulations on seasonal decorative lighting of November 1st to March 1st. Seasonal residential lighting must also be turned off by 11pm, and commercial at midnight.
Buildings outlined in lights in the main downtown areas of Main Street, Swede Alley, and other general commercial zones are exempt from the seasonal restrictions, but must shut off their lights by 2:30am.
Additional amendments will prohibit floodlights, require light shielding to reduce glare and light pollution, and limit outdoor lights to 3,000 degrees Kelvin to emit a soft, yellow light.
City staff compiled feedback from over 300 community members when writing the new ordinance.
The commission was united on the seasonal lighting restrictions, but differed on the other requirements for residential zones.
Commissioner Sarah Hall said she supports the ordinance but raised concerns over requiring all residents to comply with the regulations no matter where they live, saying it could be an unnecessary financial burden.
“I think my little sample size says that, like, half of our community, or approximately, is going to have to take some serious action to figure out how to do this or replace their lights,” said Hall. “I am very sympathetic to the houses that are closer together in Old Town -- my street is black. It doesn’t feel like it needs anything. Most of these houses, the photos that I took, it was hard to take because the houses are set back and they have trees in front of them. I think I’m creating a problem for my neighbors and not solving for any problem that there is, at least just where I am.”
The discussion prompted an amendment, saying all legally existing outdoor lighting installed prior to the formal adoption of the ordinance has until the end of 2024 to comply. All new or replacement outdoor lighting will have to be compliant.
A positive recommendation was forwarded unanimously.
The other big item on Wednesday’s agenda was the issue of correcting a 2017 oversight that prohibited nightly rentals in the Lower Rossi Hill area just off of Deer Valley Drive.
The new amendment would allow rentals in the area via conditional use permits. The area was rezoned in 2017 and a staff oversight prohibited rentals.
Commission chair John Phillips said he believes the city always intended to allow rentals in Rossi Hill prior to the positive recommendation.
“I think I’ve always kind of held the position that as it has always been presented to us, this was a mistake made on discussions that were had and the intent was to allow this use,” he said. “Over the last two years, I think we have made huge strides in mitigating the impacts of nightly rentals on an individual basis but also on a city policy-wide basis.”
Other steps taken by the city pertaining to nightly rentals include creating a website for rentals that includes a zoning map, property requirements, and license application forms, online complaint forms, as well as creating a system with the police department where noise and other complaints can be easily linked to each rental’s business license.
Wednesday’s recommendations now head to city council for final approval.
