The controversy over the future Kimball Junction development formerly known as Dakota Pacific — now Six Ridge Partners — continues to influence land use discussions in western Summit County.
The four Democratic candidates for the two Snyderville Basin council seats say that the Dakota Pacific saga showed just how powerful the Utah Legislature is.
Incumbent Councilmember Canice Harte, who is running in District 5 and ultimately voted in favor of the controversial project, says the state “forced” it on Summit County.
He contends the county wouldn’t have been able to fight it in court.
“That's when we pivoted, and switched to, how do we try to make the best out of a really bad thing?” Harte said. “So if that's going to happen, and if someone in the state does interfere, then we need to be able to work with our state leaders.”
Harte’s primary challenger, Park City school board member Meredith Reed, thought the county was able to negotiate for beneficial additions to the development.
The comments came during a candidate forum hosted by KPCW and The Park Record June 8 ahead of the June 23 primary election.
“It has a lot of really good components that benefit our community, to include a new transportation center, a new library, public gathering spaces,” Reed said.
She too emphasized the need to form relationships with state leaders and others around the state. The Legislature is known to throw its weight behind developments, even if they’re unpopular with locals.
Christie Babalis, an attorney running in District 4, agrees that fighting the Legislature “isn’t always going to be effective.”
“I think what we have to do is build relationships, engage very early, build coalitions with other interested parties, like other counties that are going through the same things we are with the state Legislature coming in with a heavy hand,” she said.
Babalis believes Summit County must propose alternatives and solutions rather than just simply saying no to state leaders.
John Kucera is also running to represent District 4. He has campaigned on voting against the first iteration of Dakota Pacific project while on the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission.
That was in 2020, five years before the county accepted a revised plan.
“I stood with the community, I actually voted on planning commission with Canice against the project,” Kucera said at the forum. “At this point, it's tough to go back and look at it again. What I would say with respect to the Legislature is we need to use every tool at our disposal.”
He echoed the other candidates by saying that means building relationships and “evaluat[ing] all legal options.”
All four candidates also said they would not like to see the state’s Military Installation Development Authority, or MIDA, bring a project to Summit County.
MIDA is the agency, headed by Utah Senate President Stuart Adams and other lawmakers, driving Deer Valley Resort’s East Village expansion and the controversial Box Elder County data center.
No Republican candidates filed to run in Districts 4 and 5, representing the central Snyderville Basin and the Jeremy Ranch area, respectively.
With no write-ins either, the June 23 Democratic primary is set to decide the entire election.
The last day to register to vote and request a mail-in ballot is June 12, but voters may also register to vote in-person on Election Day.
Democratic primaries are open to voters of any party, but voters may not cast multiple primary ballots.
