Dozens of residents filtered in and out of the informational open house July 14 to learn about the gondola that could replace the Cabriolet lift.
The resort says it will improve access and comfort for arriving guests. It would remain free to use.
The replacement is subject to Summit County approvals, said Park City Mountain spokesperson John Kanaly.
“One of the really big things we want to do is make sure that we're informing the community about what the proposal is. And so that's why we opened up this forum … and invited the community to come and see what the proposal is and be here to answer some questions for them,” he said. “So far, we've seen quite a healthy number of people come through, which is great.”
Nothing about the Cabriolet lift’s route is slated to change. But, Park City Mountain and the Canyons Village Management Association, which owns the lift itself, hope to add an on-and-off midstation just west of Red Pine Road, where Canyons Village Drive bends left.
“I use the Cabriolet frequently, both for skiing as well as summer concerts, and so I wanted to find out not only what their plan was for replacing it, but what their timeline was,” nearby Snyderville Basin resident Barbara Siegel said. “OK, so you take the Cabriolet out of service. What's your backup plan? What do you do in the meantime?”
She said she got her questions answered at the event. Construction would happen over one summer and in 2026 at the earliest.
John Simmons is the director of planning and operations for the CVMA. He said bussing and additional shuttles can mitigate the temporary loss of the Cabriolet.
“This past Forum Fest was a great test run for us. With the parking garage under construction, we didn't have nearly as much parking as we typically do,” he said. “So we ran a lot more shuttles from the Kimball Junction Transit Center, Ecker Hill. We were able to work with the county to get the Skullcandy parking lot approved for additional parking as well as the tech center parking lot.”
Details such as the capacity of the proposed gondola aren’t available yet, since the CVMA and resort are only just beginning the process of applying for a permit with the Summit County planning department.
If construction happens next year, the new gondola would open at the same time as the new Cabriolet lot parking garage.
The five-story garage will consolidate all of Canyons’ parking in the lower base area.
Vail Resorts EpicPromise Foundation and the CVMA are financial supporters of KPCW. For a full list, click here.
