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Show C-1 B-1 HISTORICAL TALK RISES FROM THE WRECKAGE BUSINESS, A-15 GAMES GUIDE INSIDE Turn to page D-1 for coverage of the Winter Olympics from a Park City perspective CADDY DRIVES FOR A SCHOLARSHIP COLUMNS, A-20 Park Record. THE CASH REGISTER RINGS DURING AN OLYMPICS TOM CLYDE WONDERS WHETHER IT WILL SNOW AGAIN The PA R K C I T Y, U TA H W W W. PA R K R E C O R D . C O M Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, February 10-13, 2018 Serving Summit County since 1880 The county inks a deal for acreage | Carry a tune Vol. 138 | No. 2 50¢ Games efforts focus on 2030 possibilities Exploratory committee outlines the potential to bid on another Winter Olympics in Utah JAY HAMBURGER The Park Record COURTESY OF GOOGLE MAPS Summit County closed on a $10.4 million purchase of 461 acres in Lower Silver Creek last week. The property is located east of the U.S. 40 and Interstate 80 interchange. About 350 acres will remain as open space. Silver Creek purchase involves open space, development potential ANGELIQUE MCNAUGHTON The Park Record Summit County’s elected leaders closed on a $10.4 million purchase of 461 acres in lower Silver Creek this week, ending three years of negotiations with the seller. The deal was the result of an agreement between the County Council, the Snyderville Basin Special Recreation District, the estate of Florence J. Gillmor and the Florence J. Gillmor Foundation. The property is adjacent to the Triangle Parcel, located east of the U.S. 40 and Interstate 80 interchange. “This accomplishes a lot for the county and Basin Rec,” said County Council member Chris Robinson. “Florence Gillmor was a woman that didn’t leave any posterity, but she had a strong conservation ethic and has made favorable sales to Park City and, now, Summit County. I think this is a winwin all the way around.” The purchase negotiations were part of an ongoing discussion with the Environmental Protection Agency, which considers the parcel a superfund site. The EPA describes a superfund as a contaminated site where hazardous waste has been dumped, left out in the open or otherwise improperly managed. Lower Silver Creek’s status is the result of contamination caused by mine tailings, which are damaging the watershed. The county has an ordinance preventing the development of superfund sites until the area is cleaned up or there is a plan in place to remove the contamination, Robinson said. When there is not a responsible party, the EPA has the authority to clean up the sites. The EPA could have sued the estate of Florence J. Gillmor, but the purchase agreement gives the estate a liability release and covenant against legal action, Robinson said. He said the seller is paying the EPA to clean up the site and the county is getting protection as a buyer, as well. Of the 461 acres, about 350 will be deed restricted and remain as open Please see Parcel, A-8 4 sections • 50 pages Business ............................... A-15 Classifieds .............................. C-8 Columns ............................... A-20 Crossword .............................. C-4 Editorial................................ A-21 Events Calendar ..................... C-6 Legals ................................... C-11 Letters to the Editor ............. A-21 Restaurant Guide.................. A-19 Scene ...................................... C-1 Scoreboard ............................. B-5 Sports ..................................... B-1 Weather .................................. B-2 TANZI PROPST/PARK RECORD Kaia Swanson, portraying Ariel, carries Lance Rothchild, who plays Prince Eric, in the final scene of “The Little Mermaid, Jr.” at the Eccles Center Thursday evening. The production, with performances through Saturday, Feb. 10, is presented by the Treasure Mountain Junior High Theatre. Ecker Hill, strategic, could be picked for park-and-ride The view area on Kilby Road may be selected for facility meant to cut S.R. 224 traffic ANGELIQUE MCNAUGHTON The Park Record As Summit County continues to explore sites that would be suitable for developing remote parking lots throughout the Snyderville Basin to capture commuters coming into Park City, County Council members have reservations about pursuing the Ecker Hill view area as the first project. County staffers presented the recommendations from a Blue Ribbon Citizens Advisory Committee to the County Council on Wednesday, along with Bill Malone, president and CEO of the Park City Chamber/Bureau. Malone served on the committee, which was created to scout locations for remote parking lots. The Ecker view area, Richardson Flat and the Park City Tech Center were identified as possible sites in August. But, the Ecker view area on Kilby Road across from Ecker Hill Middle School has been the county’s primary focus over the last several months because its “current use, availability and that it is one of the few open/available parcels between Salt Lake City and the greater Park City Area,” according to a county staff report. “Each area would need a park-and-ride facility eventually, but Ecker captures traffic before getting to the problem child we have today (S.R. 224),” said Derrick Radke, the county’s public works director. “Ecker has the ability to intercept traffic before getting there. It can capture residents from the western side of our county who want to grab a transit connection into Kimball Junction or even Park City. It is fairly convenient.” The park-and-ride discussions are part of the county’s broader efforts to combat congestion on S.R. 224, which has become a major problem. Voters approved two sales tax initiatives in 2016 to generate money for transportation projects over the next six years. Wednesday’s conversation centered on the Ecker view area and what it would take to turn the site into a large-scale park-and-ride lot. Money was earmarked in the 2017 and 2018 budgets to complete the project through the transportation sales taxes. The park-and-ride lot would accommodate 450 spaces and include a transit connection to the Kimball Junction Transit Center. The construction of a pedestrian underpass and wildlife fence would also be included. It would cost about $3.4 million to develop the parking lot and create a transit connection, as well as an additional $3.5 million to improve Kilby Road from Ecker to Jeremy Ranch. Radke said the site would be able to intercept traffic from Salt Lake City before commuters hit the Kimball Junction area. However, it would rePlease see Ecker Hill, A-2 Salt Lake City and the wider Winter Olympic region should pursue a second Games, the Utah Exploratory Committee said on Wednesday morning, a position that means Park City and other communities involved in the discussions will likely continue to prepare for a bidding process that could start in earnest shortly. The recommendation is similar to public statements recently by figures involved in the efforts. They have consistently said the Olympic region could mount a bid for the Games in 2026, but there was a better likelihood the 2030 event would be sought. Media reports from the Winter Olympics in South Korea indicate the United States Olympic Committee has opted not to seek the event in 2026. That decision means the local efforts will be in anticipation of the Games in 2030. The exploratory committee met at the Capitol and the board cast a unanimous vote. Figures from Park City were present, including Mayor Andy Beerman. He is a member of the exploratory committee’s working group, a post that has made him City Hall’s lead figure in the Olympic discussions. The International Olympic Committee has required each country interested in a bid for the Games in 2026 to submit a city name by March 31. In an interview afterward, Beerman said a community debate is needed in Park City about an Olympic bid. He said options include a forum, posing the question on City Hall’s online engagement tool, holding Coffee with Council gatherings or a Park City Council meeting. The talks could occur within 60 days, he said. “Ideally, we’d start the community conversation soon,” he said. Beerman said he has heard support in Park City for an Olympic bid, but others have expressed concern. He said there is worry by some that a second Olympics could “fuel additional growth.” He argued, though, Park City was poised for growth as the Winter Olympics in 2002 approached and the Games acted as an “accelerant” for growth. In a post-Olympic era after a future Games, though, Beerman said City Hall could advance its priorities of transportation, housing and energy. By 2030, he said, most of the anticipated development in Park City could already be completed. “I think we’ve been through the growth phase,” he said. Park City would be a crucial component to a Salt Lake City bid, as it was during the era prior to the Games in 2002. Three major Olympic venues were in the Park City area – Park City Mountain Resort, Deer Valley Resort and the Utah Olympic Park. Main Street, meanwhile, was one of the Olympic region’s primary celebration zones as City Hall turned the street into a pedestrian-only corridor with concerts, pin trading and other festivities. The exploratory committee meeting on Wednesday Please see Games seen, A-2 Early Olympic map misses gate at PCMR Snowboard, freestyle events listed at resort, but not ski racing JAY HAMBURGER The Park Record Park City Mountain Resort has years of ski-racing history, hosting World Cup events and competitions during the Winter Olympics in 2002. But in the past decade, the resort has shifted away from World Cup-level ski racing events like the giant slalom and slalom. As the Utah Exploratory Committee that is considering a future bid for an Olympics released an important report on Wednesday, one of the pages offers an intriguing look at a concept map of potential venues. PCMR, seen as the Utah resort most associated with the rise of ski racing in the state, is not listed as a racing venue for skiers. The resort during the Olympics in 2002 hosted the giant slalom competitions. In the years before the Games, PCMR was a regular stop on the skiing World Cup circuit for the America’s Opening competitions. The resort moved away from World Cup-level ski racing in the post-Games era, opting to focus on sports like snowboarding. The map lists PCMR as the conceptual venue for snowboarding and freestyle skiing. It does not provide details about the disciplines. The map is an early concept drafted by the exploratory committee in anticipation of a bid for the Winter Olympics in 2026 or 2030. The United States Olympic Committee said late in the week it does not intend to mount a bid for an American city to host the event in 2026. The map could change significantly Please see Games map, A-2 TANZI PROPST/PARK RECORD The giant slalom run at Park City Mountain Resort, shown on the left, was used during the 2002 Winter Olympics. A conceptual map for a future Olympics released this week places snowboarding and freestyle skiing events at PCMR but not ski-racing competitions. VISITOR GUIDE It is story time on Monday at the Swaner EcoCenter The Little Naturalist Story Time will be held from 10-11 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 12, at the Swaner EcoCenter. The event, designed for ages 3 to 5, will feature a nature themed book reading, exploration of the Swaner Preserve and a craft. More: www.swanerecocenter.org. |