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Show A-19 Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, June 28-July 1, 2014 EDITORIAL Special events abound with major benefits and some minor side effects LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Lodging companies' complaints fall flat Editor: Marsac Mill Manor and Silver Mill House Condominium Association's letter sounds a lot like the same... What's In It For Me...as their charge against the litigating parties. They seem to be clouding the waters with their own biases toward how they'd like the mediation/solution to play out. I know they don't coincide with my ideas for a just and appropriate compromise. James Bergan Park City Pipelines vs. trucks not an easy call Editor: Summit County Commissioners: I have attended presentations on the Tesoro pipeline project, and did what review I could as a non-scientist. I appreciate it is a tough trade-off - pipeline vs. trucking - and especially so for our friends in Heber who suffer the bulk of the traffic. I think the pipeline vs. truck decision is a difficult one. I hope you consider not only Summit County today in your review, but also the environmental concerns we see, given the an- The Park Record Staff PUBLISHER Andy Bernhard Editor Nan Chalat Noaker Staff writers Jay Hamburger Scott Iwasaki Adam Spencer David Burger Alexandria González Contributing writers Tom Clyde Jay Meehan Teri Orr Amy Roberts Steve Phillips Tom Kelly Joe Lair Bob Derber Park City City needs to step in to solve ski area dispute Editor: The dispute between Park City Mountain Resort and Talisker/Vail is hurting the town. As I write this, people are questioning their future ski trips to our town. Employees are worried whether they will have a job this winter. Residents are not buying season passes. Businesses are worried about their survival. The city is computing possible losses in sales tax revenue and other taxes. Enough is enough! I propose that the city of Park City step up and settle this now! Park City Municipal should use its power of Eminent Domain and "take" the upper mountain. Then a judge will decide what the purchase price will be at a later date. The city could form a "Redevelopment District" or some other vehicle to buy it. Later on the city can lease or sell the property to Park City Mountain Resort! Not do- LETTERS POLICY Copy editor Alan Maguire ADVERTISING Classified advertising Jennifer Lynch Office manager Tiffany Rivera Circulation manager Lacy Brundy Accounting manager Jennifer Snow Advertising director Valerie Spung Advertising sales Lori Gull Rachael Young-Tilton Jodi Hecker Erin Donnelly Cristina Kramer Photographer Christopher Reeves Production director Lisa Powell Production Luke Nielson Ben Olson Nadia Dolzhenko ticipated boom in oil and gas development around Vernal and the Ute tribal lands. Permitting a path that makes it easier and cheaper to refine increased crude production to Salt Lake City sets poor precedent. Their air quality issues already find their way up Parley's Canyon into our homes. Recall also our regular flooding these past few years along Chalk Creek and other Weber River tributaries. We no longer have easily understood water patterns and can not identify once well-understood watersheds to appreciate impact and what remedial measures are required should a spill occur. There is no need to approve given such uncertainty. I do appreciate that you all are concerned with this issue. The Park Record welcomes letters to the editor on any subject. We ask that the letters adhere to the following guidelines. They must include the home (street) address and telephone number of the author. No letter will be published under an assumed name. Letters must not contain libelous material. Letters should be no longer than about 300 words (about 600 words for guest editorials) and should, if possible, be typed. We reserve the right to edit letters if they are too long or if they contain statements that are unnecessarily offensive or obscene. Writers are limited to one letter every seven days. Letters thanking event sponsors can list no more than 6 individuals and/or businesses. Send your letter to: editor@parkrecord.com For the record Summit County highways and byways will be teeming with activity this weekend and, at times. There are numerous special events planned including an outdoor concert at Deer Valley, the Ragnar Relay race and Park Silly Sunday Market. There will also be plenty of tourists heading our way just to enjoy the Fourth of July weekend. That means motorists, cyclists and runners will all be jockeying for space on local roads and to ensure that all of them -- residents, guests and competitors -- have a fun and safe holiday we hope drivers throughout the area will make an extra effort to be alert, courteous and, above all, patient. The Ragnar Relay race will likely have the biggest impact with more than 11,000 runners expected to participate. The 200-mile course runs from Logan to Park City and will affect traffic throughout Summit County on State Road 32 on the east side of the county before moving into Park City. Motorists are likely to encounter runners and their shuttle vehicles at various points from Heber to Henefer and along State Roads 224 and 248 in Park City. For the most part, participants are careful to stay out of the main thoroughfare, but drivers should be on the lookout ing something puts our golden goose at risk! Talisker pledged the upper mountain would always be connected with the lower resort when they did the "development rights" transfer to build the Hotel Montage. It is open space and ski terrain so the City has a "vested interest" to keep it connected. Stop the fighting now! Harriet Stephens Kamas JANS expresses gratitude Editor: Thanks to everyone who came out and supported the JANS and White Pine Touring Super Bike Demo at Park City Mountain Resort on Saturday, June 21st. It was incredible to see so many happy, smiling faces, riding bikes and enjoying the trails. We can't tell you how much we appreciate your support of the JANS and White Pine Touring Super Bike Demo; we hope you found the event informative, convenient and most importantly, fun! Thank you for supporting your local shops, local resorts and local trails. See you next year! Scott House JANS Events & Social Media Director Tollgate Canyon residents boxed in by road work Dear Editor, I am writing to express concerns about the I-80 paving project from Wanship to U.S. 40 (slated to take two years). The Tollgate Canyon exit (exit 150), is the only interchange within this span. As such, it is the only neighborhood affected so gravely by this project. For two weeks, the westbound ramp (at exit 150) has been blocked, forcing residents to drive an extra 10 miles (to Wanship and back) in order to reach Park City or Salt Lake City. Notably, no roadwork occurred in that time. For the 8-mile span in which exit 150 is centered, I-80 is now limited to a single lane trapped between concrete barriers. Any stoppage in the one lane means it becomes a parking lot, and then residents are trapped. On Sunday and Wednesday, cars broke down, stopping traffic for hours. This is already costing money and causing hardship, but the most press- for weary racers who may wobble into their lane or for cyclists who are trying to weave around the runners on the county's narrow shoulders. Other traffic impacts will likely include the load-in and load-out of the concert venue at Deer Valley on Saturday evening, the ever-popular Silly Market on Sunday and the inevitable late Sunday exodus of campers who have spent the weekend in the county's National Forest lands and state parks. After a busy spring road-construction season, the incoming wave of summer visitors may seem a bit daunting but it should be welcomed as a positive indicator of a healthy economy in a beautiful location. Park City and Summit County have become experts at hosting major events and have a track record of ensuring public safety. But everyone needs to pitch in. Check out the event organizers' websites for specific traffic information, adjust your travel plans accordingly and use public transit when possible. It's going to be a busy weekend. The best advice we can offer is to sit back and enjoy it. ing concern is safety. Fire is a constant concern, and last summer we watched in fear as the Rockport fire reached high across the road, a fear amplified by the fact that exit 150 is the only access. How will emergency vehicles arrive, and how will residents escape, if I-80 is not a viable option? Many of the 850 residents (as well as recreational users and those using the LDS stake properties here) use the neighborhood for recreation, and we have already had ATV accidents and medical emergencies. What will happen now if such a victim cannot reach needed help? The problem is not the construction - it is how incompetently the construction is being handled. It is inefficient, unnecessarily costly and very dangerous. This is a giant safety issue, and UDOT and our local government may have blood on their hands if this is not addressed. Paul Sharwell Here's an idea: ask Mitt to mediate Editor: The dispute between PCMR and Vail/Talisker has already reached the point where the local economy and general well being is being affected. Without resolution it can only grow far worse. It is apparent that the two parties have developed animus toward each other and look to maximize their own gain. Given this, the interests of the community are secondary at best. Under these circumstances, Judge Harris was wise to demand mediation. As it happens, we have a local resident, part time, who would be ideal to fill the position of mediator. That individual is Mitt Romney. He has both local and national clout. More importantly, he has significant experience in sitting down with people and valuing the worth of a business and/or its assets. Please be aware: The Park Record's content is copyrighted and, other than limited excerpts that are clearly attributed to The Park Record, cannot be reproduced without express written permission from the publisher. That includes both written and online distribution. The Park Record welcomes dialog about its content, but any unlicensed distribution of its content is a copyright violation. In particular, articles and photos may not be displayed on The Park City Council has said they will pay the cost of mediation. I suggest they follow up on this by reaching out to Mitt Romney. Harry Bolger Park City County Council isn't listening to residents Editor: What a surprising turn of events at Wednesday's County Council meeting when one person's opinion swayed the Council to possibly change proposed code language affecting hundreds of residents in the Spring Creek, Silver Springs, and Silver Summit Phase A subdivisions. The Council's work session was a discussion of code revisions to allow legal, non-conforming structures a little wiggle room to change or construct additions to their homes. One squeaky wheel, however, convinced the council to look at language restricting this wiggle room, even though the meeting was not a public hearing. What is the point of having code revisions to lessen restrictions for legal non-conforming changes to residential structures and then say that these lessened restrictions need to be restricted? I hope the residents of subdivisions in Spring Creek, Silver Springs, Silver Summit Phase A, and anyone else with a residential legal, non-conforming structure in Summit County pay attention to this one-sided decision. Owning a home within 40' of a wetland, 100' of a stream or lake, or 150' of East Canyon Creek, or in Silver Summit Phase A, should not sentence you to harsh restrictions based on one person's opinion. The County Council should be looking out for the property rights of everyone in the county and wait to revise the language further until a public hearing. Angie Erickson Park City other websites. Links to the content on www. parkrecord.com, however, are permissible. The Park Record maintains a staff of writers, photographers and graphic artists who are committed to producing local news for Park City and Summit County. In order to continue doing so, the management must protect its original content. If there are any questions about this policy, please contact the publisher, Andy Bernhard, at ab@parkrecord.com. Photos by Luke Nielson Asked on Main Street in Park City How do you feel about Utah's effort to ban same-sex marriage? Smoki Suckla "If you fall in love, you fall in love. It shouldn't matter what gender. " Sophie Adelman "They should allow same sex marriages. I think people should be able to live how they want to live. Chase Biggler "If gays want to get married, let them. If they want to be just as miserable as everyone else, why not." Louise Holland "I think it's small-minded and typical. I've seen how it affects my gay friends and it makes me feel for them." Kathi Barker & Candi Powers "We think there's bigger problems that the government should be spending our tax dollars on." Add your response to the question of the week on The Park Record's facebook page: facebook.com/parkrecord |