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Show Viewpoints The A-9 Park Record. Wed/Thurs/Fri, June 26-28, 2019 editorial Youth Sports Alliance expansion is boon for East Side youngsters E letters to the editor Apples and oranges Editor: Apparently, Park City Municipal and UDOT have an apples and oranges view of solving the problem of congestion on S.R. 248. UDOT sees apples: the need to move cars and trucks efficiently along their state highway to reduce travel time and limit conflicts. Park City Municipal sees oranges: the need to move people, goods and services efficiently into and out of town. People are more efficiently moved by mass transit. Cars and trucks are more efficiently moved by larger highways. Cars move people, though not as efficiently. Park City must work with UDOT to be certain that we can receive the goods and services that travel along both S.R. 224 and S.R. 248. Since we no longer have rail service, we must rely on those two highways as essential arteries. Since UDOT has only the hammer of wider highways, every problem they see is the nail of too much vehicle traffic. As citizens of the corporate body, we must kindly and intelligently advocate for remote parking of single occupancy vehicles and wise use of our buses to carry people into town. We can’t eliminate dump trucks and delivery trucks, but we can make it more attractive to walk, bike and use mass transit. My preference is to make our remote park-and-ride lots easier to access with more frequent mass transit access. Improving the Rail Trail as a dedicated bicycle/pedestrian access to remote parking is also a dire need. Apparently, UDOT doesn’t like the idea of dedicated bus lanes on S.R. 248. Our job is to convince them that mass transit is our future ... and continue to advocate with UTA for light rail from the airport to limit our guests’ need for cars. Please join me (regardless of your personal opinion) in expressing your thoughts on Wednesday, July 26, from 4 to 6 p.m., during an open house at Treasure Mountain Junior High. If you can’t attend the meeting, you may send your thoughts to UDOT: udot.utah.gov/SR248improved/#comment-section or sr248improved@utah.gov or 435-602-7440. Sally Elliott Park City UDOT alternative is no solution Editor: Yes, it seems that we are drowning in cars. And yes, we need to a better job of getting people out of their cars and onto transit, bikes and walking. But I don’t want another monster road into Park City that will only move the The Park Record Staff PUBLISHER ....................... Andy Bernhard Editor ................................... Bubba Brown Staff Writers ......................Jay Hamburger Scott Iwasaki Ben Ramsey Alexander Cramer Contributing ............................. Tom Clyde Writers Jay Meehan Teri Orr Amy Roberts Tom Kelly Joe Lair Copy Editor ............................ James Hoyt Engagement Editor..Christopher Samuels Photographer .........................Tanzi Propst Circulation Manager ............. Lacy Brundy Accounting Manager ......... Jennifer Snow ADVERTISING Advertising Director ........... Valerie Spung Advertising Sales ................... Jodi Hecker Erin Donnelly Lindsay Lane Sharon Bush Events Manager ................. Julie Bernhard Production Director ..................Ben Olson Production ........................Chelsea Babbitt problem into the near future and further overwhelm our local roads with even more traffic. After two years of work, UDOT, with Park City Municipal staff, has released an Environmental Assessment for road improvements to S.R. 248. In short, UDOT has identified as the preferred alternative the one that widens the corridor to five lanes plus shoulders and creates a traditional intersection at S.R. 224 and S.R. 248. Imagine — all the way from U.S. 40 to The Yarrow Hotel — identical to S.R. 224. This car-centric solution fixes UDOT’s problem because it will create more state highway capacity. But it will further overwhelm our city’s streets and parking lots. Park City cannot handle, nor does it want, more cars. So please take a look at the website, udot.utah.gov/SR248improved/#draftea, and see if this is the solution that will make our lives better. From that page, link to the “Preferred Alternative Video and Interactive Map” to graphically (a video simulation) see the overall situation and the preferred alternative. I am looking forward to learning even more at the Public Hearing (the Park City Council and mayor will be there) Wednesday, June 26, 4-6 p.m. at Treasure Mountain Junior High. If you can’t attend the meeting, send your thoughts to UDOT in the comment section found onudot.utah.gov/ SR248improved/#draftea. Or to Lochner c/o, SR-248 EA, at 3995 South 700 East, Suite 450, Salt Lake City, UT 84107. In both cases any comments must be received by July 11, 2019. Sarah and Chuck Klingenstein Park City Historic move Editor: It was both a reason for applause and a sigh of relief to see the U.S. Olympic Committee’s board of directors vote to change their name to reflect the full scope of their mission and publicly declare their commitment to inclusion. As of June 20, it is now named the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee; no longer USOC, now USOPC. I am encouraged that their commitment is not only in words, but also in their actions, including this past September when the board voted to increase monetary awards for medal-earning Paralympic athletes to match those of Olympic athletes who win medals. With Utah being a leading state in the Olympic and Paralympic movement, I am hopeful our state is not far behind in recognizing equally, both in name and action, the legacy of our past and future Olympians and Paralympians. For those interested in bringing the Games back to Utah, and Park City specifically, taking this step forward is yet another way to show our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. In the meantime, I want to acknowledge the determination, patience and resilience of countless athletes, volunteers, staff, supporters and leaders within the Paralympic movement (locally and nationwide) who pushed for this historic move over many decades. Thank you. Gail Loveland Barille Midway Statement was not correct Editor: In the recent “Sunday in the Park” column the author wrote, “Deer Valley was trying to create itself with a guy who knew lots about the hotel business and close to zero about skiing.” That statement is offensive and the part about knowing close to zero about skiing is 100 percent incorrect. Allen Titensor Park City ver since it was formed in the afterglow of the 2002 Winter Olympics, the Youth Sports Alliance has been an important part of the Park City community. The nonprofit, rightly, is quick to tout the number of youngsters it has shepherded to high-level athletic success — dozens have gone on to become Olympians — through its competitive winter sports teams. But its impact extends well beyond the slopes. In addition to grooming young competitive athletes, the Youth Sports Alliance offers a pair of popular after-school programs that provide students opportunities to try their hand at winter sports and other recreational activities in a less formal setting. The programs, called Get Out & Play and ACTiV8, give the students something to do that doesn’t involve a screen and teach them valuable life skills. Those programs have primarily been available for students within the boundaries of the Park City School District — until now. After a successful test run last school year, the Youth Sports Alliance is officially expanding ACTiV8 to South Summit Middle School, allowing students there to take part in athletic pursuits such as mountain biking and disc golf, as well as other extracurricular activities like photography. The Youth Sports Alliance taking its mission to the East Norm is not acceptable Editor: President Trump lies on a regular basis. How can I trust the word of a serial liar? The continual drama oozing from this White House is exhausting. I do not want another conflict — Iran. The war hawks are circling, namely John Bolton (remember the Iraq War — oh some is still going on today John Bolton was part of that Bush, Cheney lying fiasco that got the U.S. in the Iraq War). Yet now another woman comes forward with sexual misconduct allegations and the same explanation by President Trump viciously bulling the woman by saying it is not true. How long is there a consensus among Republicans and others that this behavior is OK? Lies, lies and more lies! What happened to taking a stand for integrity, truth, honesty and compassion? Currently it appears the country is on a downward spiral. It is time to take action look inside of yourself and see what steps can be taken. The current norm is unacceptable! Holly A. Carlin Park City Side is a welcome development and a major step forward for the organization. A stark opportunity divide between students from the eastern and western ends of the county has long been apparent, and the Youth Sports Alliance deserves kudos for stepping up to address it, even if the nonprofit’s leadership would be among the first to admit more needs to be done. It would be wonderful to see an expansion into North Summit schools in the future, too, because the after-school programming the nonprofit provides is something all students can benefit from. ACTiV8, for instance, is aimed at fostering eight lifestyle qualities: accountability, confidence, equality, inspiration, kindness, leadership, respect, and versatility. Most youngsters the Youth Sports Alliance works with won’t ever become elite athletes. Even fewer will reach an Olympic podium. But lessons like that will prove essential no matter where a student’s future leads. It’s exciting that more Summit County students than ever have the opportunity to learn them. That’s a credit to the Youth Sports Alliance and its many supporters. And, hopefully, the expansion efforts mark the beginning of a community-wide effort to ensure students in North Summit and South Summit have the same opportunities as their Park City peers. Snow’s Ranch, its pastures, its serene beauty and sandhill cranes. These pastures have sustained multiple generations of Park City residents, from dairy cows, to mining families, to Mel Armstrong and Herb Armstrong. What argument will we use when a developer proposes mixed-use development beyond the 48 units already zoned for this property? Will we say it came down to the last million dollars and we just didn’t have the willingness to ensure its preservation? Will we try to outbid the developer at that point costing millions more? Will we simply resign ourselves to the loss of a community treasure? The choice is up to each and everyone of us and the answer to these questions has to be that we stood up for the protection of this land and challenged our friends and neighbors to do the same. Please ask the Park City Council to make up the shortfall and please consider making a contribution to ensure this landscape is a legacy, not a loss. Wendy Fisher Utah Open Lands executive director Council’s decision discouraging Make land a legacy, not a loss Editor: The developers are at the doors of a Park City heirloom; the Armstrong Editor: I am stunned. The Park City Council’s decision on weighting of affordable housing applicants is absolutely contrary to the PCMC “critical priority” of social equity — and it comes months before the city gets its social equity input from the community. • It has taken the possibility of affordable housing for Park City’s non-seasonal army of servers, cooks, housekeepers, landscapers, kitchen workers, etc., right out of the conversation. Forget it. • New affordable housing is rare and difficult in Park City. PCMC’s goals of 220 new units by 2020 and 800 new units by 2026 is decidedly optimistic. Vague statements that housing for lower-wage workers will be provided from some other source are simply fantasy. • This Council action says, in essence, “Leading is too hard, so we’re going to back off and let NIMBYs make policy. There’s an election coming up, and voters don’t want a dishwasher living next door.” • And I’ll come right out say what we all know: The teacher, first responder, nurse, community builder (whatever that is) workforce is mostly white. The non-seasonal resort worker and laborer workforce is mostly brown. And immigrant. If I worked for Park City Community Foundation on the city’s contracted social equity report, due in a couple of months, I would be really discouraged. Affordable housing will be, I guarantee you, a major part of the report, and yet its future has already been decided. Social equity is about equitable outcomes — not opportunities, not processes, but outcomes — and for this outcome, the round bin is waiting. Tom Horton Park City The Park record Pulse Here’s a sampling of the conversation readers are having on our Facebook page. To visit the page, go to Facebook.com/parkrecord/. Many will hate this but it needs to be done. The traffic in and out of town during rush hour isn’t horrible during the summer but it’s the winter months that are the worst... the resort clogs both 248 and 224.... morning and afternoon.” Jon Duda, on “UDOT envisions expanding S.R. 248 in Park City to five lanes” I lived in Park City from ‘98-‘10... I loved the small town feel of it when I first moved there and then after the Olympics it got busier and busier and busier until I finally left 2010… I’m so glad I’m gone…hard to come back and see what it’s become. Don’t recognize it.” Cheyenne L. Rouse, on “Amy Roberts: Tourist cities around the world are setting limits. Should Park City do the same?” Yes we need something to help out us locals here, it’s getting ridiculous. Yes we do need their money but we also need some limits!” Em Leslie, on “Amy Roberts: Tourist cities around the world are setting limits. Should Park City do the same?” If there’s no place to park when they get to town, it doesn’t matter how fast they get to town. A matter of supply and demand ... hence, while 248 is indeed a bottleneck, lane expansion is really addressing the symptom, not the problem.” Ted Forbes, on “UDOT envisions expanding S.R. 248 in Park City to five lanes” Quality of small town life is changing fast. Bigger is not better. I own a house there so I am sure my property values will continue to rise but I already miss the Park City of 10 years ago. Park City’s marketing has been promoting year round advantages. Tourists are good for local businesses but do we need more moving in?” Sheri Lukas, on “Amy Roberts: Tourist cities around the world are setting limits. Should Park City do the same?” The Park Record attained permission to publish these comments. Some comments may have been lightly edited for clarity. |