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Show Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, April 13-16, 2019 A-3 The Park Record City Beat YourParkCityAgent.com CITY EDITOR: JAY HAMBURGER 649–9014 EXT. 15711 | citynews@parkrecord.com The barn doors may reopen WHAT MY CLIENTS ARE SAYING “I have used Sheila Hall for buying and selling properties. She has been the consummate professional every time. She always has time for me and all my questions. She has offered many options that I would have never thought of. She thinks outside the box and has never let me down. I would recommend her to anyone.” -Zillow SH E I L A HA L L Associate broker 435.640.7162 | sheila @ sheilahall.com 2200 Park Avenue | Park City, Utah 84060 © 2018 BHH Affiliates, LLC. An independently owned and operated subsidiary of HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, and a franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc. Equal Housing Opportunity. TANZI PROPST/PARK RECORD The iconic barn along the S.R. 224 entryway has essentially been closed for years. The City Hall-owned barn, though, could be opened and the municipal government is seeking an approval from the Park City Planning Commission that would allow limited uses inside. City Hall could offer tours at the McPolin Farm JAY HAMBURGER The Park Record The McPolin Farm draws cross-country skiers in the winter and hikers, bicyclists and photographers in the summer and fall. The white barn that anchors the iconic City Hall-owned farm, though, has largely been closed for years amid concerns about the safety of the large structure. People could wander through the grounds surrounding the barn only to wonder about the inside. The municipal government in 2016 completed a major renovation of the building, seen as one of City Hall’s significant preservation projects, and is now considering options to allow people inside on what would be a limited basis. Officials recently submitted an application to the Park City Planning Department seeking to amend a permit dating to 2006 that outlines activities allowed on the property. The permit predates the renovation by a decade and prohibits use of the interior of the barn based on safety concerns. The renovation addressed the issues related to safety, giving City Hall the option to use the barn in a manner that was previously prohibited. An amended permit would allow limited uses inside the barn. The Park City Planning Commission is tentatively scheduled to consider the matter at a meeting on April 24. A hearing is planned and the panel could cast a vote. Minda Stockdale, who manages the McPolin Farm for City Hall, said four or five days of barn tours — involving up to 25 people each tour — PARK RECORD FILE PHOTO City Hall in 2016 completed a major renovation of the barn that anchors the McPolin Farm. The renovation addressed issues related to safety. The work included strengthening the structure’s skeleton. Park City is considering options to allow people inside on what would be a limited basis. are under consideration as part of a pilot program. The overall permit outlining the uses allowed at the farm includes a 12-event annual cap. The four or five tours would count toward the cap, alongside other events like the annual Scarecrow Festival. This is a fairly good message to the public. If you take care of these things, they’ll survive,” Bruce Erickson, Park City planning director Stockdale said a group that helps crafts policies for the McPolin Farm, called the Friends of the Farm, is interested in broadening the “educational enjoyment” of the property. “Staff and the Friends of the Farm want to find a middle ground that allows the community to enjoy the recent historic renovation and preser- vation work, while at the same time preventing the Farm from being ‘overloved,’” Stockdale wrote in a recent report submitted to Mayor Andy Beerman and the Park City Council. Private events, such as weddings, are not under consideration. The McPolin Farm, acquired by City Hall in 1990 for conservation purposes, provides a green space between development in the Snyderville Basin and Park City neighborhoods. It once was a dairy farm. It has been available for recreational purposes throughout the City Hall ownership, but ideas for heavier sorts of uses have drawn concerns about crowds and traffic. The renovation eventually was expected under the municipal ownership. The work removed a system of wires that supported the barn and replaced that system with steel framing designed to greatly strengthen the structure’s skeleton. Foundation work was undertaken and a new roof was installed. The renovation also Please see Barn, A-4 Get the top local news stories delivered directly to your inbox with a new weekly email update from the Park Record! Sign up now at bit.ly/prrecordroundup |