Opening the segment of the council agenda addressing community outcries about Vail’s management, Park City Mayor Nann Worel told PCMR COO, Mike Goar she wants to see a partnership with the resort going forward.
Goar said skier days are not breaking records this year but mentioned Vail’s policy of not sharing specific data until quarterly reports are published.
He said he does not dispute that there is more traffic.
“We have a lot more people that live here than we did 24 months ago, even. There are a lot more people driving around. Now, some of them are coming skiing, but some of them are not. And some of them are just in the mix of traffic. Anecdotally, I would say that we're seeing fewer people carpooling.”
He acknowledged that Vail needs to help manage the impact of the crowds and cars.
“We should be participating in all transit solutions at some level. And that's just a matter of us sitting down with the city and figuring out what that is. We have a role and a responsibility to be part of the solution, and we're committed to doing that."
Goar said employee housing is also an important component of solving the traffic issues. He said the employee housing project at the Canyons Village would eventually house hundreds of employees.
“Housing--couldn't agree more. I think we're on the wrong end of that equation, and we take responsibility for that. We've been working on housing; I don't feel it's moved quickly enough.”
Goar has managed several resorts and has 46 years in the industry. He told the city council that he is committed to responding to community concerns.
“I’ve got a good track record of returning every phone call and email, and it takes a lot of time, and I own every one of them, right. And gosh, they're painful sometimes, but you know what, in the end, that's the thing to do.”
Find the Park City Council live stream link here.
