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Show B-1 RESTAURANT GUIDE Looking for a place to dine in Park City? Check out our Restaurant Guide on Page B-8, and learn more online at bit.ly/eatpc ENTER THE SWANER ECOCENTER’S ORBIT FOR A NEW EXHIBIT THAT IS OUT OF THIS WORLD EDITORIAL, A-15 COLUMNS, A-14 GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES SCORE WIN FOR CIVILITY WHEN IS A GRAND OPENING NOT SO GRAND? Park Record. 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, October 24-27, 2020 Serving Summit County since 1880 Vol. 140 | No. 76 $1.00 County deemed to have ‘high’ transmission level Ripe for the taking Social gatherings limited to 10 under new classification as cases surge across state ALEXANDER CRAMER The Park Record TANZI PROPST/PARK RECORD Todd Coleman, farm manager at Copper Moose Farms, bags tomatoes for a customer at the farm’s stand along Old Ranch Road on Thursday afternoon. In addition to produce, the stand offers freshly baked goods, ice cream pints and other foods from local producers. Summit County on Thursday joined 20 other Utah counties in the “high level of transmission” category of the state’s classification system guiding the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a designation based on local health metrics and the capacity for hospitals statewide to handle new patients. The classification means personal social gatherings in Summit County are capped at 10 people, though larger gatherings can occur in places that have organizational oversight, like businesses and schools. Officials touted the measures as enabling Utahns to continue living their lives while keeping the economy open amid the pandemic. The designation will be in place for at least two weeks, according to the Summit County Health Department. Masks are required in the 21 counties designated as having a high-transmission level, including the state’s two most populous, Salt Lake and Utah counties, along with neighboring Wasatch County. After months in which state officials resisted a statewide mask mandate, a mask requirement is now in place in 24 of Utah’s 29 counties, though it is set to expire in three of those counties Oct. 29. The move was announced at a press conference Thursday that was punctuated by stark warnings, reminders and pleas from some of the state’s highest public health officials. The state’s data dashboard indicates 1,503 new cases on Thursday, with 22 new cases and one new hospitalization in Summit County. “I don’t know what to do anymore,” said Dr. Angela Dunn, the state epidemiologist, before reiterating guidance for people to wear masks, maintain social distance, stay home if sick and wash their hands regularly. Dr. Edward Stenehjem, a top infectious disease physician at Intermountain Healthcare, attempted to convey the effects that Please see Virus cases, A-2 Push starts Treasure-era figure joins PCMR project opposition Critics of plan for base to overturn area mobilize, enlisting an experienced hand annexation JAY HAMBURGER Application seeking a referendum filed, but signatures are needed ALEXANDER CRAMER The Park Record Hideout residents have begun the process to challenge the town’s annexation of hundreds of acres of Richardson Flat, setting the stage for the town’s voters to decide the issue at the ballot next year. Town Attorney Polly McLean confirmed on Thursday that the town received an application for a referendum with 10 sponsors. Among the referendum organizers is Kurt Shadle, who resigned from the Town Council this summer due to frustration with the annexation process. “This whole annexation issue has been highly contentious and if I had not resigned my seat in protest I would have voted ‘No,’” Shadle wrote in an email to The Park Record. “Given the fact that several Council people voted yes with the understanding that this issue would be decided by a referendum, I submitted the referendum application (Wednesday). This process will ensure that all Hideout residents will be given the chance to voice their opinion on annexation and determine whether the Town moves forward or not.” Town officials declined to release the application by Friday morning, but Shadle indicated that two current town councilors had joined as initial co-sponsors. If the application is accepted, organizers would be tasked with collecting around 100 signatures in the next few months in order to put the issue on the ballot. The number of signatures required and the deadline to collect them will be determined in coming days as town officials evaluate the application. Please see Referendum, A-2 2 sections • 24 pages Classifieds .............................. B-5 Editorial................................ A-15 Restaurant Guide.................... B-8 Weather .................................. B-2 The Park Record The opposition to a proposal for a major development at Park City Mountain Resort has enlisted a veteran of the intense dispute regarding Treasure, which unfolded over the course of years and offered some parallels to the talks regarding the PCMR project. Brian Van Hecke was a leading figure in the resistance to Treasure and was one of the founders of the Treasure Hill Impact Neighborhood Coalition, a group that spent extensive time on Treasure and retained an attorney in the matter. Van Hecke was listed with four others in signing a correspondence on Thursday regarding the PCMR project. The correspondence indicates the five are forming what is described as a commu- nity action group. The correspondence does not include details about the group and says an online meeting, apparently an organizing gathering, could be held early in the week. There had been talk in recent weeks about the possibility of a coalition forming in opposition to the project, and it appears the current movement is the result of those private discussions. Van Hecke’s presence thrusts him into another dispute about a major development less than two years after the end of the Treasure controversy. City Hall acquired the Treasure land, located on a hillside overlooking Old Town along the route of the Town Lift, in a $64 million conservation deal, by far the most expensive in the history of Park City’s open space program. Van Hecke was a key figure in the opposition to the Treasure development proposal and in support of the City Hall acquisition. In an interview, Van Hecke said people in opposition to the PCMR proposal approached him about becoming involved. Van Hecke owns a house in Old Town but is no longer a full-time resi- dent of Park City. He said the concerns about the PCMR proposal are similar to those that were expressed about Treasure, including the overall size of the project, the traffic the project is expected to generate and pedestrian safety. Van Hecke said he plans to offer his experience from the Treasure discussions to the group. He said he learned lots about the development process in Park City during his involvement in Treasure. He said the PCMR concept raises a concern about the proposed one-way traffic pattern on the perimeter of the development, predicting the route would hinder access to Empire Avenue for people who live or have properties south of the base area. The Park City Planning Commission is months into talks about the PCMR proposal. A Provo firm called PEG Companies plans to acquire the PCMR parking lots from resort owner Vail Resorts for the project. The development proposal involves a hotel, retailers, restaurants and residences. Large garages would be built to replace the parking spots in the lots that are lost to the project. The Planning Commission is expected to cast a vote in coming months, but it is not clear when the panel will be prepared to make what will be a momentous decision. The proposal is based on a 1990s overall approval for the redevelopment of the PCMR base area, secured by a previous owner of the resort. The overall approval envisioned major development on the lots, as well as the buildings that were later put up as Marriott’s MountainSide and the Legacy Lodge. Another approval is needed, though, before the current proposal could proceed. The timeline is among the similarities between the PCMR project and Treasure. In the case of Treasure, Park City officials in the 1980s granted an overall approval. The Treasure side years later sought the additional approvals needed before the project could be built, encountering opposition from the Planning Commission and the public that ultimately led to negotiations that resulted in the City Hall acquisition. The Planning Commission is scheduled to continue the talks about the proposal at a meeting on Wednesday. Olympic risks increase in coronavirus era Group still undecided about vying for Games in 2030 or 4 years later JAY HAMBURGER The Park Record It remains unclear when the Winter Olympic cauldron may be reignited in the Salt Lake City region. Perhaps as early as 2030, with opening ceremonies that year less than 10 years away, or possibly in 2034. The leadership of the group bidding for a future Winter Olympics on Wednesday held a meeting that covered some of the work that has been ongoing in recent months, as the attention has been on combating the spread of the novel coronavirus. Officials from the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games spoke to reporters in an online briefing after the governing board’s meeting. The committee, importantly, indicated there are ongoing talks with the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee about a future Olympics. The U.S. committee in late 2018 selected Salt Lake City to be the nation’s bid city for a future Winter Olympics with Park City involved as a crucial venue community. Fraser Bullock, the president and CEO of the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games and previously a high-ranking figure in the organizing committee for the 2002 Winter Olympics, said it has not been determined whether Salt Lake City will compete to host the Games in 2030 or 2034. He also acknowledged it is unclear when a decision will be made. Bullock said the International Olympic Committee is focused on the next Summer Olympics, which are scheduled in Tokyo in 2021 after a postponement from this year based on the concerns about the coronavirus. He said the IOC will then return to the process of selecting host cities for future Olympics. The committee in Utah anticipates it will closely watch the Tokyo organizers and how they stage a Games in the era of the coronavirus. Bull- PARK RECORD FILE PHOTO The Utah Olympic Park would be a key venue in any future Winter Olympics, as was the case during the Games of 2002. The leadership of the group bidding for a future Winter Olympics met on Wednesday and afterward said it is unclear when decisions will be made regarding whether Salt Lake City and the wider Olympic region will compete to host the Games in 2030 or 2034. ock said the Tokyo organizing committee is “blazing new trails” as they address the budget and cut costs. The organizers in Japan also could pro- vide lessons about addressing risks, he said. Please see Olympic risks, A-2 CORONAVIRUS TRACKER Summit County Utah Known cases: 1,302 Hospitalizations: 64 Deaths: 1 Known cases: 101,509 Hospitalizations: 4,939 Deaths: 567 DATA AS OF OCT. 23 SOURCE: UTAH DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH |