The Summit County Council appointed them with a unanimous vote Jan. 22. Jeffrey is an AP human geography teacher at Treasure Mountain Junior High School, where he’s worked for 28 years. “I've been here so long, I thought it was probably time I gave a little bit back to the community,” he said during an interview with council Jan. 22. He said he wants to think proactively on the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission. “When we plan these developments, or approve these developments, we kind of approve those existing developments, and we don't look five, 10 years down the road and say, ‘Okay, well, there's gonna be an adjacent development to that current one we're approving,’” Jeffrey explained. County councilmembers asked potential candidates about their vision for Kimball Junction during interviews Jan. 22. Jeffrey said the area, mostly parking lots, is “laid out all wrong” and isn’t as walkable as he’d like it to be. Young echoed concerns about walkability. He has served on Summit County’s board of adjustment for four years and his wife is deputy county manager. “I think I have that perspective as well, what it's like to have young kids, what it's like to raise young kids here,” Young told the council. “I think that's a big question, for example, for approaching the Kimball junction neighborhood. You know, are we going to be inclusive with all those stakeholders and all those different folks?” The Utah native was a congressional staffer in Washington, D.C., for a decade. “Every time I drive by Jordanelle, I think, I remember when there was no water in there. That's how long it goes back,” Young said. “Just really love this area. Like the other gentleman was saying, I see it as one of the best places to live in the country.” Jeffrey and Young will serve out the remainder of their predecessors’ terms, expiring at the end of February 2028 and February 2026 respectively. They’re joining the planning commission as it’s revising the Snyderville Basin’s general plan. They’ll make recommendations to the county council on that and other land use policies, as well as review permits. (435) 631-9555 - info@townlift.com TownLift Nov 21 Utah — Basin Recreation announced on Wednesday that the new Bitner Ranch Trail is officially open marking a major milestone for the Snyderville Basin community Basin Recreation celebrated the grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony The trail follows the recent Mammoth Drive road opening connecting the two communities that are only about a mile apart motorists had to take a six-mile detour through Interstate 80 and Kimball Junction This new 2.08-mile paved pathway provides vital trail connections enhancing safety and accessibility throughout the area The trail supports Basin Recreation’s mission to provide equitable access to trails and alternative transportation options enabling easier and safer routes to key locations The trail was funded by Basin Recreation Impact Fees and developed in collaboration with Summit County Public Works and the Summit County Active Transportation Planner Community members were invited to celebrate this new resource with snacks Basin Recreation expressed gratitude to its partners and reiterated their commitment to expanding trail access in the future Bitner-Silver Creek connector road scheduled to open on Friday Contact: info@townlift.com The TownLift News Desk specializes in delivering concise Our expertise is in covering local stories that matter most to the Park City community Read more from TownLift Submit a news tip, Share a photo or video, or contact TownLift with your local Park City news and feedback 2 days ago     Full time     $20.00 - $22.00 hourly 3 days ago     Seasonal     4 days ago     Seasonal     4 days ago     Full time     $45,000 - $60,000 yearly 10 days ago     Seasonal     $5,500 - $6,800 yearly Post A JobView All TownLift 10 hours ago Michele Roepke Dec 6 Michele Roepke Oct 18 Add Your Organization Don’t miss a beat in the Park City community—get the daily scoop delivered straight to your inbox. Completely free, unsubscribe anytime. police log, police siren, flashing lights, blotter Get Todays News Today Sign up for our TownLift Daily Newsletter and get today's top local news stories in your inbox TownLift is a web and mobile-based Entertainment & News media outlet providing Park City and Summit County Utah with Breaking Local News & Community Updates info@townlift.com The Synderville Basin has never had a place where their loved ones could be laid to rest. And with the 8-acre Park City Cemetery full, a cemetery district board has spent months making plans for a community graveyard — one that got the green light from the Summit County Council on Nov member of the Snyderville Basin Cemetery District board said the county’s support came with a tentative budget of $495,000 “The bulk of that money is geared towards planning if things move fast enough that we might be able to start construction on maybe the first phase of that cemetery this fall,” he said A new tax was approved to fund the project It will cost a $2 million home in the Basin about $25 per year The 12-acre cemetery will be beneath the Utah Olympic Park and across the street from the Run-A-Muk dog park Gillwald said changing burial trends mean 12 acres should be enough land for years to come “One of the first things we did as a board was an online survey and we found that there's a certain segment of the population that still is interested in that type of service,” he said “But what we've heard was that moving forward maybe 60 to 80% will be cremations and green burials.” Gillwald also said large statues will not be allowed the goal is to preserve most of the natural landscape and make it more park-like A single-track bike trail already goes through the area Gillwald said the cemetery district has spoken with the recreation district about building some pavilions and gazebos so the area can be shared with recreationists “What I kind of envision is it to be sort of like when people started coming out with these conservation subdivisions where you take all your density and compact it into a small area and preserve the rest as open space So I see this as how we separate the 12 acres into pods,” he said Gillwald also said the cemetery area has varied terrain which lends itself to creativity in the design “We actually went out with a backhoe that the county provided us and an operator and we dug about 12 test pits all through that area and we didn't hit bedrock anywhere,” he said Gillwald said the cemetery district still needs to create a business plan so it can determine where it can generate revenue so a tax increase is not necessary in the future The district will adopt its budget for next year at a 6 p.m. meeting Dec. 5 at the Richins Auditorium Gillwald said the public is welcome to attend and give feedback The approved changes include setting a 15 mph speed limit on transportation trails for both e-bikes and non-e-bikes and creating a conditional allowance for Class 1 e-bikes on natural surface trails for operators 65 years of age and older or those with mobility disabilities emphasized the importance of these changes in aligning local regulations with actual usage and safety needs “The community survey results indicate strong support for these measures which aim to enhance trail safety and ensure a cohesive management approach across the region,” Jones said The amendments also include increased ranger presence and educational campaigns to encourage compliance with the new regulations also highlighted the community’s support for these initiatives noting that two-thirds of survey respondents favor allocating additional resources to control e-bike usage on public pathways and trails According to the survey, over 90% of respondents are familiar with e-bikes, and a significant majority support speed limits between 10-15 mph on pathways The new regulations are designed to balance the benefits of e-bike usage such as aiding seniors and individuals with mobility issues with the need to mitigate potential safety risks and user conflicts Dani Miles is local to Park City and spent the first 15 years of her career in outdoor marketing She now enjoys writing local news and instructing at the Ski School at Park City Mountain you’ll most likely find Dani playing on the floor with some combination of her dogs and young kids Post A JobView All Don’t miss a beat in the Park City community—get the daily scoop delivered straight to your inbox Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Sign up for our TownLift Daily Newsletter and get today's top local news stories in your inbox TownLift is a web and mobile-based Entertainment & News media outlet providing Park City and Summit County Utah with Breaking Local News & Community Updates Summit County is accepting applications for Cooke’s seat until Jan. 13 at 5 p.m. Click here for more information and I think it's a good time for other people to get involved,” he told KPCW Cooke was appointed in 2017 and last year began his third term His replacement will serve out the rest of the three-year term set to expire in 2026 “We're inching closer towards wrapping up a general plan revision process,” he said maybe it's that I'm not going to stay on long enough to see that all the way through.” Cooke works as the digital strategist for the Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective, and he made unsuccessful bids for the Summit County Council while on the planning commission in 2022 and 2024 “I'm taking a little break just to sort of recalibrate and find a way to have a greater impact in the community,” Cooke said “I don't necessarily think running for office is that path for me and I think there are definitely other ways to serve the community.” Fellow Commissioner Chris Conabee also stepped down this year. Applications to replace him closed in early December The planning commission is both administrative and legislative That means it considers permit applications for properties in western Summit County and it writes the changes to that area’s development code Commissioners are volunteers appointed by Summit County councilmembers the majority of whom used to be planning commissioners themselves Utah – Plans to build a Maverik gas station in Quinn’s Junction at the corner of Old Highway 40 and Atkinson Road were approved Wednesday by the Snyderville Planning Commission Commissioners delayed a decision about the project in mid September because they were at odds with developers about the number of parking stalls that would be allowed they met in the middle and the project will move forward with 30 parking spots – in September Maverik wanted as many as 47 and the code at the time only allowed for 21 The Commission also amended code to allow gas stations in Summit County’s service commercial zone when Maverik submitted the application The Maverik will have pumps for sixteen cars to gas up at once and they could double the number of pumps in the future The project will start with two electric vehicle chargers and the ability to build two more How the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission Voted: A  4-3 vote passed the Maverik project Commissioner Makenna Hawley opposed the plan Commissioners Megan Recher and Thomas Cooke also voted against the proposal with Cooke requesting that if the company decides to install 16 additional fueling stalls in the future Cooke’s concerns about the environmental and traffic impact of 32 fuel pumps were countered by James Copeland who explained that Maverik’s traffic study likely overestimated its impact He emphasized that most customers would already be traveling along the nearby roads Conabee expressed confidence that the county’s Community Development Director would make appropriate decisions about the need for more pumps especially given the rise of electric vehicles and the limited profitability of gas sales compared to convenience store items Marina Knight began her career in journalism working for The Stowe Reporter in 2003 where she was a staff writer and later the publication’s Web Editor She covered the Winter Olympic Games in 2006 and 2010 and has worked as a freelance writer covering outdoor topics as well as art criticism Knight was Editor-in-Chief of SkiRacing.com She has won multiple awards from the New England Newspaper Association for environmental reporting In her free time you’ll find her in the mountains The district was honored last month by the National Association of Clean Water Agencies at a July 24 ceremony with two Platinum Peak Performance awards for its adherence to regulations and consistent conscientious approach to protect human health and the local environment year after year The first award recognized the East Canyon Water Reclamation Facility for its full compliance with all environmental permit requirements for 20 years The second recognized the Silver Creek Water Reclamation facilities for its compliance for 21 years Utah — Summit County officials are asking residents and visitors to weigh in on the region’s future development through online surveys available until December 2 The surveys will help shape updates to general plans for both the Snyderville Basin and Eastern Summit County The current surveys focus on two main themes: managing natural resources and responsible growth along with promoting healthy living and preserving community identity Utah state law requires general plans to address several key areas The county maintains separate plans for its eastern region and the Snyderville Basin to address their distinct needs The surveys follow last year’s initiative where residents identified five main objectives for the county’s future planning: Anyone with a connection to Summit County, including residents, business owners, and visitors, is encouraged to participate in the surveys. Visit summitcounty.info/gpupdates to complete the surveys by December 2 Rebecca Brenner's work has been featured in Time She has lived in Park City for twenty years now with her two children and wild cattle pup She is a member of Leadership Park City class 30 the Park City Community Foundation’s DEI cohort will be published with Wayfarer Books in Fall 2025 the Copper Moose Farm stand sells food and flowers near the intersection of Old Ranch Road and the McLeod Creek trail It gets a temporary permit from Summit County every year county Principal Planner Ray Milliner says The Snyderville Basin Planning Commission wants to encourage working farms in western Summit County which developed into a ski resort-based economy in recent decades preserving agriculture is written into the Basin’s code we don't have a lot of working farms anyway,” he said at the Dec So the commission has recommended the Summit County Council pass new code allowing and governing farm stands in the Park City area At the planning commission’s public hearing over the summer some residents expressed concern about allowing commercial activity in residential neighborhoods So commissioners say farm stands should secure a permit from them That way they have oversight and can mitigate potential problems Copper Moose has only sold its products during the summer If the Summit County Council adopts the new code it may be able to sell by appointment in the winter A public hearing to consider the new rule hasn’t yet been scheduled Summit County-based Columbus Pacific Development will be back at the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission soon to discuss 14 acres west of Silver Creek Road Columbus Pacific partner Tony Tyler has previously proposed a mix of grocery, child care and housing called the Crossroads at Silver Creek It's come back in with something a little less ambitious but it's a rezoned community commercial,” Summit County Community Development Director Peter Barnes said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” March 5 Previously the developer was looking at the neighborhood-mixed use zone, which would have allowed for more density than what’s in the new plan, which proposes half the 200 residential units originally contemplated “It's a reduction in size and number of units,” Barnes said “On an approximately 14-acre site would be a total of about 32,000 square feet of commercial uses — you know two story commercial uses — and 96 residential units And the requisite amount of open space.”  Tyler is also working to subdivide land in the residential area west of the planned mixed-use center into five single-family home lots He lives in the residences between the two sites A planning commission meeting about the housing and shopping center hasn’t been scheduled The majority of the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission which has jurisdiction just outside of Park City has now been appointed within the last year The latest turnover followed Commissioner Bruce Carmichael’s resignation and Commissioner Megan Recher’s move to the eastside On Wednesday they were replaced by Heather Peteroy of Deer Valley and Eric Sagerman of Sun Peak The new members of the Eastern Summit County Planning Commission are Seth Bowen Those seats opened after commissioners Clint Benson and Rich Sonntag’s terms expired in February Sagerman and Hayes have both participated in the community planning lab a 10-week course from the Summit County Planning Department about growth and development issues “One of the things that came out of the community planning lab is really the vision of what Park City Snyderville should be and can be,” Sagerman said during his interview with the Summit County Council Hayes also valued her experience in the class and she expressed a desire to communicate the information more widely said that future growth wasn’t the primary reason he wanted the job but he’s been interested since high school and since building his house What impacts does a minor subdivision have on this Ingress and egress and with fire and and all this stuff,” he listed during his interview “There's a whole lot of stuff that's in the background that people don't see.” She said she’s familiarized herself with code and planning processes through that and her work with the Kimball Art Center Councilmember Roger Armstrong said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” that the council appointed “good smart people” to two of the most important boards in Summit County Summit County is a financial supporter of KPCW. For a full list, click here The Snyderville Basin Cemetery District board said it wants to put in a cemetery on the right side of Olympic Parkway before the RTS trailhead parking lot Board of trustees chair Max Greenhalgh said a geotechnician has already analyzed soil samples from the area We went down about seven feet on most of the digs and so we're pretty pleased with the site overall.” They’d offer regular burial plots and spaces for cremains and green burial could be a possibility as well The district doesn’t have the authority to levy taxes yet but the Summit County Council could grant that He added it likely wouldn’t get that power until next year and would keep the tax burden as low as possible board members have been donating their own time and securing pro bono work Greenhalgh said they’ve been lucky to have a professional planner Gillwald’s neighbor was the geotechnician who analyzed the soil samples Board members are holding off on a formal vote to choose the Olympic Parkway site for now while the county clears up legal concerns Greenhalgh said county attorneys believe deed restrictions on the land jointly held by Summit County and Basin Recreation allow for a cemetery But the attorneys also told him the state of Utah would prefer the cemetery operator owns the cemetery land County officials may need to subdivide it and transfer it to the cemetery district The Summit County Council would need to vote to approve the division at a future meeting This cemetery would be the Snyderville Basin’s first residents had to go to Salt Lake City or elsewhere for burial as Park City’s cemetery is reserved for residents and is almost full Much of the zoning is actually called “rural residential,” and it allows for large accessory buildings—think: barns And it seems to Basin resident Debbie Scoggan that everyone’s building one—just not for agriculture which is the opposite of what the whole idea was,” she said referencing the general plan’s prioritizing open space The former Snyderville Basin planning commissioner is the leading edge of residents frustrated with the explosion of accessory buildings and she’s a familiar face at local government meetings Scoggan has been advocating for stricter rules since at least 2017 and property owners are still requesting the barns en masse The planning commission considered two more requests from Silver Creek Estates property owners Aug “We're finding that a lot of people—given the fact you can build a barn for $400 a square foot and sell it for over $1000—are coming in and doing large structures which the code allows you to do,” current Commissioner Chris Conabee told the Summit County Council Aug “The problem is defining nightly rentals and commercial uses … where some of them are being turned into private recreation facilities or things that aren't characteristic of the neighborhood And it's happening after the application and after the construction.” The council saw that firsthand with another Silver Creek Estates landowner the week before Landowner and attorney Gregory Michael Dell’s neighbors had called in complaints saying he was using his outbuildings to run an events center which is not allowed in the rural residential zone County civil attorney Lynda Viti read from his former Airbnb and VRBO listing: “Our $20 million private ranch compound is one of a kind consisting of nine acres; four separate buildings; 11 bedrooms; sleeps 24 to 30; 7,000 square foot entertainment facility the ‘clubhouse’—in quotes—with indoor pickleball court 17-foot movie screen with 4k laser projector we offer butler service during your entire stay.” Dell was asking the county council to sanction his nightly rental Aug and the two-hour appeal hearing was a barn burner which is incidental—as defined by the code—that can be used by my guest,” Dell said Summit County Attorney Margaret Olson followed up by reading disparaging emails Dell previously wrote to the county “If you continue to conduct yourself like this in future litigation I will seek to have you designated as a vexatious litigant,” she told the attorney He didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Aug ‘What’d you think these people were going to do once we took their eyes off of them?’” she told KPCW say they can’t accuse residents of a future crime It’s now illegal to build a storage unit on a Snyderville Basin property and they’ve put size limits on accessory buildings in general The biggest issue now is catching those who commercialize their outbuildings illegally There are just two code enforcement officers monitoring the county’s roughly 43,000 people And they won’t know about violations unless neighbors alert them Community Development Director Peter Barnes would like two more employees to enforce nightly rental rules, but it’s unclear if the county can afford new hires in FY2025 homeowners in Ranch Place and Silver Springs woke up to five stolen or burglarized vehicles I don't think I'm that messy,’ because there's some things in the front seat,” resident Chris Conabee said “Then you realize that someone was in your car.” Conabee had cash bank statements and a car key taken in the break-in Two of Conabee’s neighbor’s trucks were stolen—one was found later at Willow Creek Park—and oddly enough a new vehicle was left behind: a 2015 Honda Accord stolen in Salt Lake City It contained stolen financial transaction cards Summit County prosecutors believe the heists are the work of one man: Benjamin Jordan Quaid They charged him with four felony counts of theft and four misdemeanors for vehicle burglary and joyriding Sept And he’s already in custody at the Salt Lake County Jail Court papers indicate Quaid was previously convicted of crimes in connection with three previous vehicle thefts and two vehicle burglaries around the Salt Lake Valley The burglaries happened July 14 in Bluffdale the same day prosecutors allege Quaid drove to Silver Springs A Utah Highway Patrol trooper’s affidavit says he met Quaid July 18 near 900 W the trooper realized there was an active warrant for his arrest The trooper searched Quaid and claims to have found a Glock 17 and suspected fentanyl and methamphetamine Then Salt Lake and Summit County authorities began to connect the dots Court papers say a Taylorsville convenience store’s security cameras show Quaid exiting the stolen Accord July 13 and using a stolen credit card inside In an interview with a Summit County detective Quaid allegedly admitted to all five auto thefts and burglaries in Ranch Place and Silver Springs Charging documents also allege Quaid left the Accord behind because he forgot where he’d parked during the course of the other burglaries The handgun UHP found on his person four days later matches the serial number of the one stolen in Park City Conabee said he and his neighbors feel a little “vulnerable” after the ordeal but most people’s property has been recovered “We just really are all thankful that the police jumped on it and our thought that we would get anything back was … very slim,” he said “But [the police and deputies] went to work and he doesn’t know how someone got into it Quaid is currently serving a 140-day jail sentence for the Bluffdale burglaries Three of the felonies he faces in Summit County carry prison sentences of one to 15 years Quaid could face thousands of dollars in fines An initial appearance in court at the Silver Summit Justice Center hasn’t been scheduled The Summit County Sheriff’s Office did not say whether he’ll be transferred to the Summit County Jail Columbus Pacific is proposing the Crossroads at Silver Creek development to include single-family homes neighborhood-scale commercial and retail as well as trails The mixed-use development is proposed for a 30-acre site which has developed the Kimball special event space in Park City’s Old Town as well as some high-end developments at Canyons Village believes it was set up to be a commercial core and is asking the parcels to be rezoned to Neighborhood Mixed Use Tyler is also asking that the NMU definition be amended to add more clustering of housing and reduced setbacks Tyler presented his newest project to the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission back in March The plans show 64 single family lots on the first parcel Parcel two calls for about 71,000 square feet of commercial and retail space 56 townhomes and a 13,000-square-foot daycare facility No retail businesses are committed to the project at this point but Tyler says they’re looking for business that would best serve a small neighborhood something like a Sprouts or a Natural Grocers “Certainly not a giant Smith’s or something like that Think about the things that you would go multiple times a week those are the types of uses that we have initially proposed on site The change in the NMU ordinance would allow what county planners are calling a cluster subdivision to encourage a greater variety of housing types on smaller lots In a staff report prepared for Tuesday’s meeting planners wrote cluster subdivisions provide a benefit to the community by expanding the range housing choices to include retirees and single parent or single person households Zero side setbacks would be considered if certain requirements are met Tyler says the clustering would allow for smaller homes and provide more significant amounts of open space – more than what is currently required The apartments would all be deed-restricted Nineteen of the 56 townhomes would be deed-restricted at 80% of area median income – or about $95,000 for a two-person income Twenty-nine of the 64 homes would be deed restricted for sale Tyler is hopeful the planning process wraps up this winter allowing for construction to start in the spring A second item on the agenda is a public hearing at 6 p.m on the request by the Utah Olympic Park for phase 3 of the West Peak expansion to build two new ski runs UOP General Manager Jamie Kimball says one of the runs on the north end would serve as the easiest way down as well as provide snowcat “We would potentially use it for athletes to get around the steeper pitch as well it opens up a little bit more terrain for some of our younger athletes as well near the top of the mountain,” Kimball said for the emergency access for our ski patrol and some other equipment to get up the mountain a little easier.” The south ski run would serve as a Ski Mountaineering or SkiMo training hill over the last couple of years,” Kimball said “We identified some terrain right there on the southern side of the park property that would be great kind of backcountry-esque side country terrain for them to go in and train on we're looking at both an uphill and downhill route for them.” The work would require the removal of three pines While some neighbors are concerned about the proposal saying the runs will be lit at night and have snow machines running nonstop “There's no lighting or snowmaking on the northern runs or the southern runs a glading-out of some of the undergrowth to make it a little bit more scalable but it's not actually clearing the runs the way we would on the north run,” Kimball said Staff review of the application indicates that it meets the minimum requirements for approval in the Snyderville Basin Development Code and recommends approval of the conditional use permit The Snyderville Basin Planning Commission meets Tuesday in a work session starting at 4:30 p.m. at the Richins Building auditorium or via Zoom. The regular meeting and public hearing are at 6 p.m. You can find the agenda and the link to join the meeting virtually in the web version of this report at kpcw.org. Ashtyn Asay Nov 7 some Summit County voters received a general election ballot for the Snyderville Basin Water Reclamation District in their mailboxes The Snyderville Basin Water Reclamation District provides wastewater collection and reclamation services to western Summit County The district collects wastewater from approximately 13,000 homes and businesses throughout a 102 square-mile area The district’s board of trustees is composed of four elected members from throughout the district and one member appointed by the Park City Municipal Corporation The board typically meets every third Monday each month voters have the option to either re-elect incumbent Robert “Bob” Richer to the board for another four-year term or select Kevin Williams to fill Richer’s seat after his current term ends on Dec has previously served on the Park City Council and has also served as a Summit County Commissioner According to William’ss candidate bio he and his family moved to Park City from Washington D.C Only residents within the Snyderville Basin Water Reclamation District service area will see this ballot in their mailbox Be sure to cast your vote on or before election day Ballot drop boxes can be found at the following locations: Contact: ashtyn@townlift.com Ashtyn is a Utah native who loves ski towns She has worked for several news publications throughout the state covering education When she's not writing you can typically find her reading Read more from Ashtyn Asay Associated Press Dec 29 Ashtyn Asay Dec 7 TownLift Nov 21 UTAH (KUTV) — A power outage is reportedly affecting over 4,500 Utahns in Snyderville and Summit County According to representatives of Rocky Mountain Power the cause of the outage is due to the agency's loss of a substation Officials said that crews are working to solve the issue and that they estimate the time of restoration to be 7 p.m This outage comes just days after scattered power outages across the state left nearly 12,000 Utahns without electricity Willow Creek meanders across lands owned by various people HOAs and Utah Open Lands managed by Basin Recreation the creek would run from Old Ranch Road south to north to East Meadows Drive and into the Swaner Preserve But this spring the creek has already gone rogue The creek’s banks breached Monday April 17th and caused a large water sheet to flow across Basin Recreation’s open space and flood two homes on the south end of Angus Court. Gary Peacock lives in Willow Creek Estates He said he’s concerned about the creek flooding again because there are obstructions in certain areas “Willow Creek has a half a dozen manmade obstructions which are some kind of blockage like wood that have been inserted for irrigation purposes back when all this land near Willow Creek Estates was farmland and wetlands.” According to Peacock there is some controversy over a historic irrigation headgate called the Southgate Peacock said he learned recently that these gates had been put in by previous homeowners years ago “But that metal gate has been opened and closed Peacock has been in communication with Summit County council member Chris Robinson and Phares Gines who is the trails and open space manager for Basin Recreation He said there was a survey of the creek from Old Ranch Road north to Cutter to get a better understanding of the issues and who is responsible for maintenance of the creeks and the obstructions Gines said it’s not clear who oversees the creek’s maintenance; individual HOAs “So it doesn't mean that we're not willing to help it’s just that we got to be kind of careful not to just go into private property and start clearing things out I honestly do not know who is in control of the water I know there's a headgate that hits east out of Willow Creek itself And it's I think it's been assumed that maybe Basin Recreation was in control of that but we are definitely not in control of that.” but Basin Recreation is communicating with the county and homeowners’ associations People from each organization plan to meet this week to figure out a game plan But as the temperatures rise and the issues with Willow Creek remain “There's just finger pointing and not our property and stuff like that And we're facing a disaster because we're going to get warming weather And we're going to get a lot more water going down that and all these neighborhoods are endangered Sandbag stations are located in Willow Creek Park and throughout Summit County Snyderville Basin Water Reclamation District Director Mike Luers says the treatment plant has served as the helipad for the University of Utah’s medical helicopter operations since 2009 “Contrary to popular believe we do not have a helicopter We do have a large concrete pad that is not used we signed a lease with the University of Utah to provide space for their helicopter and space for them to move a trailer in that they use as a base of operation it's been the base operation for the Snyderville Basin-Park City area to serve the community including responding to ski accidents and avalanche situations.” For those who can see or hear the helicopter chances are there’s some kind of an emergency happening Luers says during the construction of the new Silver Creek treatment plant they learned it was a good thing to have emergency technicians on site it's great for us to have paramedics on site we haven't had any injuries of our personnel but during the construction of the Silver Creek project I think the fact that we have an air-med operation in the Park City and Snyderville Basin area is a tremendous benefit in that we can get pretty fast response to severe injuries and This medical helicopter he says has a huge service area At least four newly-installed “yield” signs at roundabouts near The Home Depot and Smith’s are misspelled as of Oct When it comes to the word “yield,” it’s “I before E it’s worth noting this grammar golden rule is sometimes broken Plenty of English words like “seize,” “weigh” and “height” don’t follow it and spokesperson Derek Siddoway said the public works department will be correcting it It’s not yet clear how the signs got misspelled if the snafu draws more attention than usual to signage A rendering of the proposed Canyons Village parking garage Utah — The proposed Canyons Village garage received a unanimous vote of recommendation from the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission at its meeting on Tuesday and now moves to Summit County’s community development director for approval The new five-story parking garage would be located at the southeast corner of Lower Village Road and the Frostwood Drive/Canyons Resort Drive roundabout and would replace the existing Cabriolet parking lot If approved, construction would take place in three phases, according to the project website Construction of the first and second phases would span 2024 and 2025 with the goal of completing the parking garage and pedestrian plaza in time for the 2025-26 ski season The timing of the third phase has yet to be determined The new garage will be used to consolidate parking for the entire Canyons Village area meaning that the upper lots of the Cabriolet Lot will eventually be redeveloped the new parking garage would consolidate and replace surface parking throughout the village and create new and vibrant community spaces Following the commission’s recommendation community development director for Summit County now has the final say on whether or not the project will move forward Courting cranes do an energetic dance when mating SNYDERVILLE BASIN, Utah. — Park City photographer, Kevin Parker (kkparker_photography) snapped this picture of a Sandhill Crane this week on Old Ranch Road Sandhill Cranes are known as dancing birds because of their mating rituals Rendering of proposed Harmons grocery store Photo: SRE Ontario LLC via proposal to Snyderville Planning Commission Utah — The Outlets Park City has been in limbo as some retail businesses have moved out while others have stayed The future of the property is now up for discussion as the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission will discuss a proposal to redevelop a portion of the area during their work session in their Tuesday meeting SRE Ontario LLC is proposing 72,056 square feet of existing retail space would be demolished and replaced by 72,044 square feet that would be turned into a new Harmons grocery store The proposed area would be directly west of the AC Hotel By Marriot The site is near affordable housing to the south and condos to the west the store would likely create 75 full-time positions and 70 part-time positions with the potential for as much as a 60% increase in positions during busy periods the applicant is requesting another access point be built and redistribution of parking and amenities to the area staff will seek feedback and direction from the planning commission on how best to proceed One possible outcome would be that the staff would be directed to return in a future meeting with a set of Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law that would support a recommendation from the commission to Summit County Council Should the commission determine that the proposed plan does not meet the Snyderville Basin Development Code there could be a discussion about what revisions would need to be made Utah — Snowshoe hares have been called the snickers bar of the forest as they are a main food source for many different predators they have evolved some unique tricks in order to survive their hair will start to change until it eventually becomes all white they are better served using their winter coats as camouflage to hide from predators To learn more about winter adaptations, see this Storytime with Swaner story Storytime with Swaner: Winter Adaptations in Wildlife An aircraft closely resembling a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III circled the Snyderville Basin Thursday afternoon Jeremy Ranch resident Sharon Salmon was one of several residents who got their phones out to capture the spectacle She said she heard the craft before she saw it The massive C-17 is primarily used to transport troops and equipment and is affectionately known as the “Moose,” so it was surely right at home in the Wasatch back The nickname comes from the sound pressure vents make while the plane refuels—it sounds like a female moose’s mating call Hill Air Force Base in Ogden said it didn’t have any C-17s takeoff on Thursday Wright Air National Guard Base told KPCW it doesn’t have any C-17s at all Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas didn’t know if the plane was theirs but could not confirm one way or another in time for this report which archives military aircraft data from the more general flight tracker ADS-B Exchange took off from Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho Records show it came south and made it as far east as Vernal before coming back across the Wasatch Mountains Click here to see SWORD11’s archived tracker information The flightpath and timing line up with eyewitness accounts Mountain Home Air Force Base did not respond in time for this report that C-17 still counts as an unidentified flying object a 35-year-old man whose last known address was in the Snyderville Basin was convicted of raping a woman who visited an establishment where he provided a massage the woman went to the establishment in Summit County last April where she disrobed and lay on a table to receive a massage from Kennard The court documents say he penetrated her multiple times without her consent and touched her inappropriately a jury convicted Kennard of two first-degree felony counts of rape two first-degree felony counts of object rape and one second-degree felony count of forcible sexual abuse said they are disappointed with the verdict "It was a difficult case and the lack of forensic evidence in this case was something my client focused on heavily in his defense,” Bangerter said Summit County Attorney Margaret Olson declined to comment about the conviction First-degree felonies carry sentences of five years to life in prison Kennard is also facing a second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse charge for another massage-related incident last March and Bangerter said Kennard denies those allegations American kestrel in Snyderville Basin Photo: Kevin Parker TownLift reader Kevin Parker captured this shot of an American Kestrel perched high in a tree top out in Snyderville Basin earlier this week the American kestrel is a common species found statewide at all times of the year They can usually be found in open habitats The American Kestrel is also the smallest and most colorful falcon in North America Have a cool or interesting photo you want to share with the community? Hit us with your best shot at info@townlift.com The Summit County Council on Wednesday voted unanimously to amend the Snyderville Code to allow mobile food trucks and food courts Council member also said they don’t have much ability to regulate the trucks under the state legislation that paved the way for the food outlets They heard that the upcoming legislature may enact even more changes that are friendly to the industry Council members have said previously that they’re bound by state legislation which eased the amount of red tape that trucks have to go through to operate in multiple jurisdictions Council chair Kim Carson has pointed out that under the new law a truck operation doesn’t have to get a basic license but just has to do that in a “home county.” The county’s Environmental Health Director Phil Bondurant was asked if they can still inspect food trucks that may be based in another county “The limitations on the permitting are only for business licensing.” Bondurant explained which allows us the opportunity to inspect them once per year Then they’re inspected twice in their home jurisdiction If the truck is based out of Salt Lake and they go to Davis County and Utah County and then Wasatch County and Summit County they’re getting inspections in all those jurisdictions as it stands now The fee of those permits was set in stone by the health officers about a year ago it does give us the authority to close them to remove them from our county if they’re unsanitary or they present a public health risk.” that the legislature may enact further modifications for the trucks “Originally started out just as a business licensing component and now it’s going to move towards the sanitation side of it where they would just be inspected in their home county and we wouldn’t have any authority in our county as a secondary to inspect them or to do any type of follow up,” Bondurant replied to a council members question if any county gave the license that Summit County would have to honor that  “If the new language is being considered is passed then yeah we would be in that position.” Bondurant said they would still be able to respond to specific complaints although their activities would be reactive “To my understanding even if they change the rule the way it’s currently written we still maintain our authority as a public health agency.” Bondurant continued if there’s a taco truck or a hamburger truck that’s discharging waste water out onto the ground we have the authority to go in and cease and desist to close them and remove them we don’t have the authority to go and just do an inspection of sanitation Essentially it goes from being proactive public health to reactive public health which has been proven time and time again to be the cause of food borne illness outbreaks and a number of other things Another concern is how the food trucks will impact brick and mortar businesses Council member Roger Armstrong posed a question to staff planner Ray Milliner “One of the surprises to me in the state legislation is that you can’t put limitations around proximity to brick and mortar restaurants “Which means if you’ve got a pretty well-developed restaurant district or area these guys get to park next to it if they want to.” “When we did the ordinance in Salt Lake City we put 100-foot limitation and that was expressly because of that.” Milliner explained “The restaurant owners asked for that the food trucks didn’t like it so they were able to get that in the legislation.” “I’m still just stunned by the legislative clout that the food truck industry has in Utah.” Council member Doug Clyde stated The owners of the outlet mall near Kimball Junction are proposing to open a Harmons grocery store there saying it will revitalize the commercial center which would demolish and reconstruct a portion of the mall will be introduced to the Snyderville Planning Commission at its regular session (today) Tuesday afternoon.    The Snyderville Commission is meeting electronically.   The proposal for the mall is the first item on the Planning Commission’s work session The planning staff reports that the applicant wants to demolish the 54,000-square-foot Building C.  In the mall’s roughly-U-shaped configuration of stores The applicants say their proposal is a redevelopment.   But the planning staff says it’s a new entitlement Justin Keys said the mall needs a retail food center because “The former playbook for retail is simply not working.” and the county approved expansions to the center in 1999 and 2014 Keys said the retail market has shifted rapidly to online shopping—a trend accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic made up almost entirely of soft-goods fashion tenants has become outdated.   The attorney noted that in the last two years over 75,000 square feet of retailers have vacated the mall; occupancy has decreased from 95 to below 80 percent; and sales decreased over 32 percent from 2019 to 2020 He argued that Harmons will be a much-needed anchor tenant.   Keys said the store has a large regional following and will bring out those customers and their dollars the Snyderville commissioners are being asked to discuss whether the project must comply with Policy 2.3 of the General Plan which says that the county won’t add new entitlements unless the applicant can show a compelling public benefit The applicants contend they are redeveloping entitlements that have existed since the early 90s.  They said the two previous expansions of the mall advanced the public interest and said the new plan will improve open space mass transit and the trail access system at the mall Later on in the planning commission’s work session and whether the existing language should be retained The controlled burn taking place in Summit Park Dec PARK CITY, Utah. — On Tuesday, Basin Recreation’s Open Space Management Supervisor, Jess Kirby, received one of three awards distributed nationwide for excellence in wildfire mitigation efforts from the National Association of State Foresters for Wildfire Mitigation (NASF) The award was established in 2014 to express appreciation of employees’ dedication and “to help demonstrate the tremendous societal value wildfire mitigation efforts provide,” according to the NASF Kirby’s accomplishments in open space management for the Snyderville Basin Recreation District were highlighted by the NASF in an announcement: “Having lost her own home to wildfire several years ago, Jessica understands the urgency of addressing wildfire risk,” the NASF said in a statement about its award recipients “She has made it her goal to protect Communities at Risk from wildfire.” Bailey Edelstein traded politics for powder days when she moved from Washington She is a multimedia storyteller dedicated to sharing stories through writing Brock and Roger Osguthorpe at the Osguthorpe Farm a 158-acre parcel on Old Ranch Road in the heart of the Snyderville Basin on Monday March 18 The Summit Land Conservancy is facing a March 31 deadline to raise money to save the farm The Osguthorpe farm on Old Ranch Road would make members of that Summit County family rich indeed if they sold the 158-acre tract near Park City to developers but they would rather keep the Snyderville Basin’s last working historic farm in production The wool from Osguthorpe sheep is used to make military dress uniforms Yet the land that sustains the sheep producing that wool also preserves open space that now helps sustain Park City’s status as a beautiful place to live and visit The family has agreed to sell a conservation easement that preserves the property as a working farm to the nonprofit Summit Land Conservancy but the clock is ticking to raise the final $535,000 of the nearly $18 million deal “We put our life’s work there. We have houses built all the way around it now. If I looked down [Old Ranch] road and saw houses built on that property, I would not be able to live with myself,” said landowner Steve Osguthorpe The thing we enjoyed about the area has disappeared and we don’t want that to happen to our property.” Summit Land Conservancy is making an all-out push to raise the purchase money by the March 31 deadline under a matching grant from the U.S “It’s not just about preserving a slice of the past but supporting Park City’s economic future and image,” said Cheryl Fox The group has taken out full-page ads in Salt Lake City newspapers “We’ll lose $8.8 million in federal funding,” the ad states “We’ll lose $4 million donated by your neighbors.” The federal Natural Resources Conservation Service provided the largest-ever grant for farmland conservation in Utah Fox’s group has been raising the balance since September 2017 and has so far pulled in 900 donations “There used to be 26 dairies in the Snyderville Basin but that is because it’s flat and in a high-end neighborhood It’s high-end because it has a lot of open space that the community has preserved.” located just northeast of Willow Creek Park But its value as open space is worth far more to Park City whose tourism economy depends of scenic venues and outdoor recreation (Christopher Cherrington | The Salt Lake Tribune) Steve Osguthorpe’s father, well-known veterinarian D.A. “Doc” Osguthorpe, who died in 2009 back when many Synderville farms raised feed for horses that toiled in nearby mines The pivot-irrigated half-mile-by-half-mile quarter-section was the Osguthorpes’ first of many acquisitions in the Snyderville Basin at a time when the area economy was shifting from natural resources to tourism and skiing Osguthorpe bought out other farmers who had lost their main source of income These holdings are now key pieces of Park City’s remaining open space “We are fortunate the Osguthorpe family is so committed to farming and conservation This is a family that has never sold for development,” Fox said This family looks for a conservation solution for those problems the Summit Land Conservancy has acquired development rights in Utah’s once-bucolic basin that now harbors some of the West’s priciest real estate The group manages 38 conservation easement on 5,700 acres of undeveloped land in Summit County much of it with public access in and around Park City While surrounding parcels turned into subdivisions, the Osguthorpe holdings continued to be used for growing alfalfa and oats to support the family’s sheep and dairy operations and to sell to horse owners. “We appreciate the people here stepping up,” Steve Osguthorpe said. "The last thing we want to do is just sell it and have it developed. That is not what we are. Money doesn’t motivate us. Farming and ranching do.” For e-edition questions or comments, contact customer support 801-237-2900 or email subscribe@sltrib.com sltrib.com © 1996-2025 The Salt Lake Tribune