OCR Text |
Show Twenty-Five Cents Volume Five A recently approved federal grant will insure the Park Citv (Jolf Course will remain a scenic recreation attraction. Skiers Crowd Slopes Over Holiday Weekend Although the resort initially received little help from the heavens, snowstorms snow-storms of recent weeks have bolstered the confidence of visitor and resident skiers. Over the past President's Weekend holiday," the resort reported its second highest ticket sale day in its history, sending more than 10,300 skiers onto the slopes. The record ticket day came during the 1979 Christmas holiday, when 11,000 skiers swarmed the local hillsides. Sunday's lineup at ticket windows showed increased enthusiasm enthu-siasm for Park City skiing, but resort marketing assistant Laura Thomas said there is no way to recoup the loss brought on by this Christmas' poor snow showing. She noted, however, bookings indicate a strong ski season from now through Easter. "It's going to take until the end of the season to really calculate just what the Christmas losses were as far as ticket sales and ski lesson revenues are concerned," said Thomas. "Based on the number of new 'pillows' in town, if there had been snow, we would have been up on last season, instead of 65 percent down." But Thomas said things are definitely definite-ly looking up. A week ago Sunday, the resort recorded it's biggest day of the season, with 9,800 skiers clambering for tickets. But that tally superseded last weekend as skiers from across the country single-filed into Park City to take advantage of an extra day of skiing created by the celebration of Washington's birthday. And while the resort was enjoying full chairlifts, local lodges and restaurants restau-rants were equally busy. Nan Ball of Moana commented last Saturday "was probably the biggest check-in day of the year, and next Saturday looks like it's going to be our biggest turnover day." Of the 10 priorities handled by Moana, Ms. Ball said the unit were 75 percent full last week, compared to 90 percent over the weekend. "It looks excellent from here on out," Ms. Ball said. "As a matter of fact, next week looks like we'll have an even higher occupancy rate than this week. This week was the real start of the winter Park City's used to having." A tally of local lodges showed last weekend there were about 4,000 visitors whose heads rested on the 5,800 pillows now available in Park City. Space available is referred to in 09 T3 "or Page 5 Dick Robinson's Oakley animal farm has some energetic. . and large. . . furry beasts. Perpetuaz Storage,' 3322 South 3rd East SalV-ake City, UX number of "pillows" rather than rooms, since more than one person can occupy a room. Those 4,000 visitors made for long lines at the food and liquor stores as they stocked ' up rooms and condominiums condo-miniums with vacation staples. The Prospector Square Athletic Club was inundated with tourists anxious to take a cool swim and a hot jacuzzi after a day on the slopes. Many visitors ventured onto Main Street, both for daytime shopping and after dark for dinner and libations. Paul Brown, manager of Mileti's Italian restaurant on Main Street, said enthusiastically, "we were maxed out! We weren't hurt by the lack of snow at Christmas, and things have just been picking up ever since. ' ' Brown said most visitors traveled to Park City despite less than perfect Utah powder early in the season. Buying Bottles Was Harder Than Usual It's hard enough buying liquor in Utah with the intricate maze of state liquor laws, but last week in Park City, residents, tourists and restaurant restau-rant managers found it harder than ever to buy the bottle of their choice. A delay in liquor shipments and record tourist crowds caused such a run on liquor that the Rusty Nail package store had to temporarily close. Locals and tourists complained to package store clerks about the limited supply of liquor. One resident in search of a bottle of champagne for a house warming found the Holiday Inn's package store reduced to three bottles of wine two of which were splits. Tony Beam, manager of the state package store on Main Street, reported the problem last week stemmed from the crush of tourists in town and the breakdown of a Park City Truck Lines' delivery vehicle, which delayed a liquor shipment to his store by three days. "The business here last week was like Christmas time every day," said Beam. "People bought cases and cases of liquor, especially wine. A tourist from California would come in here and see Charles Krug selling for $5 a bottle, and because he either can't If U 71 P j - pvt- Inc. r 4115 ark City Thursday, putting his January business just 10 percent behind last year's strong winter start. He said the restaurant is catering to more customers to date in February than during tne same period last year. ' ' The Family Jewels at the bottom of Main Street reported the crowds were "excellent" over the weekend, with both sides of the street filled with cars as browsers took to the sidewalks. One casual local observer referred to the crowded restaurants and streets as "a zoo." While residents yearn for the relative solitude of a Park City summer, visitors are what winter is economically all about, as evidenced by the thousands of dollars spent annually by Park City and other Utah ski resorts to entice the all important visitor. By the looks of things, the marketing strategy is working. find Charles Krug back home or it costs three dollars more, he ends up buying a whole case." A clerk at the Holiday Inn liquor store reported the same problems. "Last Saturday was by far the busiest day the store had since New Year's Eve," the clerk said, adding that the waiting line at one time stretched halfway down the hotel's lengthy northern corridor. "There was heavy demand for everything vodka, rum but particularly wine, which was carried off in cases." Beam said he will increase his single delivery order per week to two in order to keep up with higher demands and to prevent running dry if Park City Truck Lines experiences another breakdown. Though the Main Street package store manager seemed confident that two orders a week will alleviate the problem, some restaurant restau-rant owners and locals aren't so sure. Some private club owners report that even when shipments are delivered on time, some of the order merchandise is missing. Here the cause of the problem is harder to pin down. Some private clubs that order through the Main Street store say they get Continued on Page '.i After a long trip Vietnam. Vo Houang and his sister are in Park City, ' thanks to the Church. iiY FebruarySJSSO Grant Approved For Golf Course Purchase Thanks to a recently-approved federal grant, Park City shortly will finalize the purchase of the golf course, insuring the area will forever remain as open space. The 70-acre golf course at the north end of town was offered to the city last March by Greater Park City Company Com-pany for $1 million. For the next month, city officials and concerned citizens considered the feasibility and necessity of buying the course. On April 5, 1979, the City Council voted to purchase the property, after a public input session indicated the citizens were in favor of preserving the open vista, no matter what the cost. In researching the feasibility of buying the course, city officials, under pressure that the course would be made private, determined it would cost between $3 and $4 million to construct a similar public facility. On Tuesday, Mayor Jack Green said the Heritage Conservation and Recreation Re-creation Service had approved a $250,000 grant for the purchase of nine holes of the course, with an additional $250,000 to be appropriated next year. The funds were awarded on a matching basis, with Park City footing the other half of the $1 million bill. When Greater Park City Company offered the golf course to the city, the sale hinged on the rezoning of 7'. acres of golf course property to accommodate a 300-room hotel. In a letter to Mayor Green, GPCC Chairman Chair-man of the Board Nick Badami noted the acreage, called the "retained property," lies below the driving range and encompasses the pro shop, Adolph's restaurant, tennis courts, parking areas, and portions of the golf course extending southeasterly along A five story, 1, New Main Street Project Looms Over Commission Concerns were raised last week over the design and scale of a five-story, five-story, 24-unit hotel planned for lower Main Street presented to the Planning Commission at its Feb. 13 discussion session. The project is being developed by Park City resident Bob Johnston and is to be built just south of the Design Coalition building now under construction con-struction at the corner of Main Street and Heber Ave. The hotel would occupy oc-cupy the three lots south of the Design Coalition to the corner of Main Street and 6th Street. The Family Jewels is on the south side of 6th Street. To be called the Park Hotel, the building is planned to be 75 feet long and 45 feet tall. The hotel would be en Page8 from t Catholic Park City's only Highway 224. Badami said at the time he anticipated the property would be sold to a third party, who would build a hotel complex on the land. A hotel is not a permitted use in the Residential Development zone. While Badami said the city was under no obligation to rezone, he noted the city's failure to do so would terminate the contract. On Tuesday, City Councilman Bob Wells noted that in researching the rezoning question, it was discovered the best route would be for the hotel developers to present their plans under a planned unit development exception, a conditional use in the RD zone. He commented that had the city entertained the idea of rezoning the property from RD to Recreation Commercial to allow a hotel, the city would have had less control over the types of uses allowed on the property. Wells said the property outlined for construction of the hotel would require modification of the first, second, third and ninth holes. Those modifications would be made by the hotel proponents. He said the city probably will use the first phase of the grant to purchase the nine holes that require no modifications. Although remote. Wells remarked if the second phase of the grant is denied, the city would purchase the second nine holes of the course over a 20-year peariod, as previously agreed upon by Greater Park City Company. Asked if the approval of the grant was a surprise, Wells commented, "It became a surprise. We found out fairly early in the game that we were being favorably considered. But the nearly $2 million originally set aside for Utah by the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation got cut in half, and the applications in were in excess of the 24-unit hotel is planned for lower tered from Main Street or 6th Street, with a restaurant and bar on the lower level, shops and offices on the second floor, and 24 hotel rooms or apartments apart-ments on the remaining three floors. City Planner Bill Ligety commented commen-ted the plans indicate the building is five feet over the permitted 45-foot height restriction. Architect Ross Viehweg of Orem noted the average height is 45 feet, but Ligety pointed out the ordinance doesn't allow an average height, but a maximum height of 45 feet. It was noted, however, there is a discrepancy between be-tween a line drawing depicting height measurement and the written definition. Planning Commissioner Greg locally owned newspaper Number Twenty-three funds available. But Jack ((lice;!, managed to work on il and get il." Mayor Green said Tuesday. "We've worked very long and hard on this 1' certainly is a boon to the city for this to remain guaranteed open spn e forever. We hope to utilize the property as a year-round reeioniioit facility." Green commented the need tor open space and public opinion in favor of buying the course was so great, the city would have pursued the purchase through other means had the gran! been denied. With the grant, the city got a $1 million golf course lor $500,000. "We are really pleased." Green said. As for the hotel, plans already h . ce been submitted to the plan 'inn; department by Park City Holiday inn principals Rick Prince and Rob Morris. According to City Planner ii l! Ligety, the hotel will contain :VM units in a two story structure that stretches from a point on Thaynes Canyon Drive, around the bend fronting Highway 224, to approximately the turn in the road in front of the Ml Air Cafe. The ground level of the complex will contain 140,000 square feet, wi'h three tennis courts, conference rooms, a 200-person capacity coffee shop and an equally-sized restaurant, a swimming pool, shops, and under ground parking. The project, designed by Park City architect Ted Warr, is expected to come before the Planning Commit sion within the next two months. Wells commented the hotel will not likely be constructed in the next year, so for the time being at least, ct import to Park City's gul! en-runners, en-runners, ski tourers and other green space enthusiasts will remain a familiar sight on the golf course. if i- .Main Street. Lawson asked, "How do you lee! lis scale of this building fits this location on Main Street? I sense it's a tart" massive building." The architect replied the buildine "is about the same size as the Design Coalition, width-wise." City Councilwoman Helen Alvarez, emphasized that in the city's Land Management Code, it suggests buildings in the Historic Commercial Business district wider than 50 loot should be designed to appear as a row of shops with 25-foot store fronts. She questioned if that suggestion had been taken into consideration in the design of the project. Viehweg replied Continued on l'aie :! Periods of snow through Sunday. Sun-day. High temperatures in the upper up-per 20s, with lows in the teens. |