Park Record | 1998-12-05 | Page 2

A-2 The Park Record Saturday, December 5, 1998 Deer Crest project breezes through annexation hearing Park City organizations praise project !:for supporting causes throughout area by Jay Hamburger :6f the record staff They lined up Thursday night ;Ind one by one offered their support sup-port for the Deer Crest annexation -and development. Many Park City organizations Stalked of Deer Crest's activism and !laid the project will better the city. Joan Calder, executive director -hi the Park City ChamberBureau -$aid the ChamberBureau is sup-sporting sup-sporting the Deer Crest project, nothing not-hing that it will create "significant ;;Iinancial benefits" to the city. I Habitat for Humanity's Christine Anderson offered "grati-Slude "grati-Slude for generosity" showed by ;: Deer Crest. "Habitat's better because ;hey're here," she said. ; The head coach of the Utah !l Nordic AlliancePark City Nordic ;Ski Team praised Deer Crest for ; lillowing use of the project's trails. ; "Deer Crest has gone out of its Ivay to make trails available to us," ; John Callahan said, v Thursday's public hearing in Jront of the Park City Council I parked Deer Crest's continuing '. efforts to be annexed into Park ; -C ity. '. The City Council will vote on - Ihe project at a future meeting, " pbtentiallv next week or on Dec. : i7- ' The Deer Crest project, now '.under construction just over a ridge Z from Deer Valley Resort's Snow Park Lodge, straddles both Summit Roundabouts recommended - Continued from A-1 would be better for the community Z and the taxpayers to go with round- - abouts." The county retained Oursten's ' firm in early November after several I members of the community vocally protested the Utah Department of -Transportation's (UDOT) proposal " to build a single-point urban interchange inter-change (SPUI) that would control " nearly all Kimball Junction traffic with a "single traffic 'signal sittratftd ; - above the exact center of the bridge 1 over 1-80. - w-. The SPUI would require nine '. lanes along S.R. 224 at its widest ; point and necessitate two three-lane ; ramps to provide ingress and egress to the interstate. ' The vocal protest to the proposal ' led to both the retaining of Ourston's firm to examine alterna- tives as well as a reaction from Utah Transportation Commission '. Chairman Glen Brown, who told : The Park Record UDOT would ; consider alternatives to the SPUI, including a close examination of roundabouts. '- And apparently Brown has fol- lowed through. ; Ourston said Thursday his group has been contacted by UDOT . recently and they have been given authorization from the state agency to present their findings at a sched- tiled public hearing on the Junction reconstruction effort December 10 I from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Burns Fire ; Station at 730 West Bitner Road. I Ourston said two roundabout proposals will be displayed at the '. public heal ing. I One proposal consists of two I teardrop-shaped roundabouts sitting on either side of the Kimball Junction bridge. The roundabouts ! at this location would handle all traf-I traf-I lie heading onto and off of the inter-i inter-i state. This first proposal would also Call now for 10 strategies for estate planning. Given the combined forces of estate and income taxes, your estate could lose up to 70 of its value. Money you've worked long and hard for. Money you prefer to go to family, charities and friends. 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Roosevelt Gap: The 61-acre parcel par-cel will be home to a hotel, to be operated by Ritz-Carlton, and 105 condominiums. Deer Hollow Village: At 97.71 acres, this parcel includes 83 residential resi-dential units. Five 8.5-acre single-family single-family home sites are proposed for Deer Hollow Village. The project also includes new Deer Valley Resort ski runs and a funicular - a tram-like method of transportation popular in Europe -that will run from Deer Valley's lower parking lots to the Deer Crest development. Deer Crest also received a written writ-ten endorsement from the Mountain Trails Foundation. "When it is complete (Deer Crest's) new trail system will be a great asset to the community," wrote foundation Executive Director Troy Duffin. On Thursday, Ritz-Carlton sent a letter to the City Council supporting support-ing the annexation. "We believe that the Deer Crest Project and your City are a primary choice for Ritz-Carlton to develop its next mountain resort property," wrote Ritz-Carlton Vice President of Hotel Development Luis Acosta. Deer Crest Managing Member David Luber said the public hearing hear-ing reflected Deer Crest's activism consist of four 300-foot roundabouts lining S.R. 224 from Landmark Boulevard to the Winter Sports Park access road. Each of these roundabouts round-abouts would be roughly 500 feet apart and be designed to perpetually move vehicles along the state road. Ourston's second proposal consists con-sists of the same two teardrop-shaped teardrop-shaped roundabouts at the Junction but would forgo the four others along S.R. 224 in favor of four T-sig-nal intersections that operate like a common, traffic signal": "Four roundabouts would be better bet-ter and quicker at low peak hours," said Ourston, "and they would outperform out-perform traffic signals at everything except during times of heavy traffic. During high peak hours, signals and roundabouts would be comparable." Ourston estimated that the four-roundabout four-roundabout proposal would make the trip between Kimball Junction and Park City only seconds longer, if at all. Ourston also said the roundabout proposal would also allow better commercial access to retailers in the Junction. Concerns arose last week after UDOT informed a community group if the SPUI is built, customers eating at Kenny Rogers Roasters would have to cross the interstate to make a U-turn before being able to head back to Park City. Ourston's meeting with the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission, representatives of the area's ski resorts and Park City officials was preceded by a closed meeting with UDOT officials, where the engineering specifics of roundabouts were discussed. Mack O. Christensen, a traffic and safety engineer for UDOT, said following their meeting, "they've put together a lot of material in a short span of time and we are still concerned with the level of service compared to the (SPUI)." Plus, Christensen said, "this is Why the bull market of the 90s has made it important to reexamine your entire estate Ways to shelter up to a million dollars under the new tax law Whether you should own life insurance in your own name Why it may pay to retitle your assets Important opportunities to reduce your potential estate tax liability in Park City. "We have been working with the community here in Park City and Wasatch County for two years," he said. "I think we've done a good job listening to the communities." That work, though, followed a tense relationship between Park City and the project's predecessor, Telemark Park. The city and Telemark Park were in litigation earlier this decade about traffic flows into Park City from the project. pro-ject. A 1995 settlement agreement ended the legal actions and Telemark Park was sold to its current cur-rent owners. The settlement agreement called for the annexation of the three areas currently being debated. The annexation narrowly cleared the Park City Planning Commission by a 3-1 vote in September, with some on that body complaining that, because of the settlement agreement, the city did not play a large enough role designing design-ing the project. The Planning Commission and City Council also have expressed concerns about the traffic associated associat-ed with the project. The annexation will force an agreement between Park City and Wasatch County, where portions of the land are located. The interlocal agreement, which is not yet completed, com-pleted, will address revenue-sharing aspects of the project, including tax revenues. Thursday night, Wasatch County Attorney Dan Matthews said his county is pleased with the negotiations negotia-tions thus far. "Wasatch County's supportive of the annexation," he said. new technology too. They are proposing to have more lanes and several roundabouts placed closer together than anything that's ever been done before. We're plowing new ground here and we want to be very sure it will work before we go ahead w ith anything." Ourston, however, counters this argument saying that his roundabout round-about proposal will be safer, more reliable, more ecologically friendly and quicker than the SPUI. "Roundabduts' come froth 'the exact opposite philosophy of a SPUI,1 he said. "They want to bring all the traffic to a single-point single-point and we want to spread the confluence of traffic to get a safer, continually moving intersection." Ourston also produced statistics suggesting roundabouts lead to fewer accidents and fewer accident-related injuries than a regular signaled intersection. "Total crashes decreased 37 percent and injury crashes decreased 51 percent at eleven American intersections converted to roundabouts," according to a handout from Ourston & Doctors. The dramatic decrease in injury-related accidents is due to the general slowing of traffic as it approaches the intersection. Maximum speed at the Kimball Junction intersection was estimated estimat-ed to be around 15 m.p.h. Around the larger roundabouts on S.R. 224, Ourston estimated the maximum maxi-mum vehicle speed to be around 22 m.p.h. After the meeting, Ourston said that UDOT is being fair and professional pro-fessional in considering the roundabout round-about proposal. "The idea," he said, "is alive, well, quantified and will be at your next meeting." Ourston & Doctors also has a web site devoted to roundabouts. That address is www.round-abouts.com. LIKE A GOOD NEIGHBOR, STATE FARM IS INSURANCE HI M toft mmm State Farm Insurance Companies fl sum if City landscape director the Miners Hospital with City looking to get in Continued from A-1 pipeline, and the Davis & Weber Counties Canal Company (D&WCCC), which is supplying water to the pipeline, said major environmental studies would need to be performed before the Bureau would allow the pipeline to cross their property. "The letter basically says that in order for us to consider doing these things, we'd have to do one of two environmental studies on the impacts of the pipeline," said Dan Fritz, an environmental protection specialist for the Bureau. "Actually," Fritz continued, "our preference is that they would avoid Bureau of Reclamation land." Indeed, the letter says, "based on our preliminary and limited evaluation evalua-tion of alternatives for the pipeline alignment, it is Reclamation's' preference pref-erence that the pipeline not be located on Reclamation-owned and managed lands adjacent to the East Canyon Reservoir." The bureau owns most of the land that surrounds the East Canyon reservoir. Furthermore, Martin's statements state-ments also come just days after the Snyderville Basin - Sewer Improvement District filed a formal complaint against the $17 million pipeline, saying that State Engineer Bob Morgan did not adequately address the district's concerns when he approved the proposal to build City council Continued from A-1 Several City Council members and Park City Mayor Brad Olch are members of the Park City Motorcycle Club, the organization that is spearheading the festival. Nancy Garbett of Monitor Drive said those officials supported the rally because of their association with the club and they were "acting out of self interest" and were "self-serving "self-serving council people." Garbett also said that people she Choose and Continued from A-1 the butt of the trunk ever gets dry, it will seal shut and the tree will dry out very quickly." ft Water additives might work to keep a tree greener longer, Barrett said, if only because of the psychological effect. "I say that if people believe in something, some-thing, they should do it. If noth State Farm THERE. TOM LIGARE, CLU 1662 BONANZA DR. PARK CITY, UT 649-3332. Home Offices: Bloomington, Illinois of holiday spirit Maria Barndt and city employee festive boughs and holly. the pipeline. "We have appealed his decision to the state's district court," said Jeff Appel, the attorney for the Sewer district. "We're not satisfied with the result and we don't think our concerns were inadequately addressed in the approval." The Sewer district protested the pipeline last summer, suggesting that the purpose and intent of the pipeline was for speculation and monopoly purposes in the relatively dry Basin and that water brought in from the pipeline could possibly displace dis-place water from one source to another, therefore harming the area's ecology. Motions may be made very soon in the case, although nothing beyond a simple filing has happened as of yet. In spite of all this, Martin remains optimistic. "We never wanted to go through Bureau of Reclamation land anyway," any-way," he said. Martin further stated that the only reason they even mentioned men-tioned the idea to the Bureau was because the East Canyon Resort had forced them to consider the option during negotiations to gain access to the resort's land. The current proposal involves mostly private land and avoids Bureau land altogether. About the Sewer district lawsuit, Martin said, "you can sue anybody for any reason. The state engineer has reviewed their objection and accused of "self-serving" talked to in Steamboat Springs did not enjoy the festival. She said a race organizer once told a Steamboat Springs resident: "If they didn't like it, they could leave town." The City Council had limited comments Thursday night. "As far as noisy . . . ," said City Councilman Chuck Klingenstein said. "Dangerous maybe." City Councilwoman Shauna Kerr, an avid golfer, said the race, because of its proximity to the Park City Golf Course, could interrupt care for Christmas trees ing else, it reminds them to keep the tree watered." ft Use Christmas lights which utilize lower wattage bulbs or are of the "twinkle" type. This type generates less heat under prolonged pro-longed use. Be certain all light strings are in good condition and operating properly. Barrett said that Park City T5 Rjver $uns Through It. Park City's most sophisticated, luxury apartment community. Canyon Creek is designed for those who appreciate the year round, active ambiance of Park City. Canyon Creek, conveniently located at Kimball Junction, is a beautiful 20 minute drive from Salt Lake City. Reserve your view now! Phase II and outdoor resort style pool opening Fall of '98. 900 5500 Sq Ft Clubhouse Indoor Resistance Pool Aerobic Studio Climbing Wall Basic Cable Apartments www.canyoncreekapts.com SCOTT SINEPARK RECORD . Sandra deJager decorate on the deal approved the pipeline nonetheless." He says the action will not slow the pipeline's construction. "My understanding is that unless we are given a court order, we will continue to work on the pipeline." Furthermore, he said, "everybody that has a legitimate complaint has been appeased." ; In related news, Park City Municipal Corp., a one-time opponent oppo-nent of the pipeline, has sent a letter to its water provider, the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District, saying that it "was willing to join the East Canyon pipeline if that is the best alternative over the long terrn for our users." Tom Daley, assistant Park City attorney, said, "we're not in the business of making money off water, so if the East Canyon pipeline is th;e better, more affordable option, we would like to pursue that." The city currently has a contract with Weber Basin Water to bring water to the city from the Smith and Morehouse Reservoir. "We wouldn't hold them to bringing it from there if it were the more expensive alternative," Daley said. Park City's Public Works Director Jerry Gibbs puts the city's position on the Snyderville Basin pipeline like this: "If you are building build-ing a house, you wouldn't want water to go a block from your house and not to you. You would want it to come right to your front door." golfers. "It lessens the golf experience' she said. The golf course would have b close down for one day. The Park City Motorcycle Club left Thursday's hearing saying that the club is confident the event can be held in Park City with limited impacts. "The concerns are that the pressure's pres-sure's on us to put on the finest motorcycle event possible," said Mark Cohen, president of the club. Christmas tree buyers tend to shop later in the season than most other neighborhoods. "Our busy days will be December 11th and 12th, and the 18th and 19th," Barrett said. "A lot of people, especially in the Salt Lake Valley, were buying their trees early, on Thanksgiving weekend." Bitner Road Park City, UT 4:356556200 1,2 & 3 Bedrooms WasherDryer ; hookups ; AttachDetach ; Garages Mountain Views 1 Exercise Facility POOR