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Show Council Hears Highway Plans L - ' t 1 I' I 7 V t, , f i i I A representative of the state highway department told the city council last Thursday his office will "probably" recommend a path along the hillside roughly parallel to Poison Creek for the proposed realignment of highway 248. Highway Department Environmental Environ-mental Specialists Phil Fredrick-son Fredrick-son said the recommendation, due for release in a month to six weeks, will most likely propose a path on the hillside "just high enough that it won't interfere with development below, but low enough that it won't scar the hillside.'.' Fredrickson reported on the " progress of the realignment project, which is still in its early stages, and answered questions from the council and citizens attending the meeting, including several residents of "Easy Street," who protested the possible destruction of trees and houses in the area. Easy Street resident Susan Prigge presented a petition with 157 signatures in "strong protest" pro-test" to "the destruction of any prominent tree in the town limits of Park City" and requesting passage of an "Extraordinary Tree Ordinance" to protect them. The council also held a public hearing on rezoning of the site of the proposed alignment to a new Rl residential zone, exactly the same as an HR1 historic residential zone, but without the historic designation. The new zone was added to the town Land Management Code, and the zone change for the property was adopted with little protest. The council initiated the zone change last month after being advised that the historic designation designa-tion of the highway path could set off a lengthy study by the department of transportation that could delay the project several years or cause it to be abandoned entirely. be abandoned if the zone was not changed. Fredrickson began his presentation presen-tation by noting that Park City is out-growing its state highways. "With the anticipated influx as Deer Valley develops, the Depot project develops and other major projects develop, along with the housing in the Holiday Ranch area, we can see that traffic is going to increase in the same proportion," said Fredrickson. He said his office is doing a study of the areas traffic needs for the next 20 years, with one of the major concerns getting traffic off already congested Park Avenue. Fredrickson revealed that a major improvement to a four-lane or two-lane improved road may also be needed for highway 224 between Park City and Kimball's Junction. He said a preliminary study of alternatives for the highway realignment within the city limits has already been circulated to an "advisory group" in Park City and that a final draft of the study is "ready to go to press." Copies of the study should be available soon at the chamber of commerce. com-merce. Although the recommended alternative from Fredrickson's office has not yet been completed and a final design for the road had not yet been formulated, Fredrickson Fred-rickson said the highway would probably be designed to accommodate accom-modate traffic to Deer Valley as a first priority. He said preliminary studies indicate the proposed Deer Valley resort will generate most traffic on the road, with the downtown area second and traffic up Marsac Avenue third. Emphasis would be on Main Street until Deer Valley is in full operation, however. According to this alternative path, the road would follow the hillside from the intersection of Heber and Marsac Avenues, connecting with Park Avenue near the Snow Country condos and First Security Bank. Following the completion of a recommendation, said Fredrickson, Fredrick-son, the department of transportation transpor-tation must complete a preliminary prelimin-ary impact statement, scheduled to be ready in March. Public hearing must be held in Park City and Summit County, and a waiting period must take place, before the final impact study is released, probably late next year. Fredrickson estimated that actual construction of the highway high-way is "three years down the road." Fredrickson said some retaining retain-ing walls may be needed where the highway would cut into the hillside and that "some trees may be lost." A landscape architect is employed at the highway department, depart-ment, however, and his job will be to "save as many trees as he can," he said. Fredrickson said his office is also planning to work closely with the city and developers of the Depot project to preserve Poison Creek, which would have to be relocated in some places, and turn it into a possible park Phil Fredrickson area. A "Poison Creek green-belt" green-belt" is currently under consideration con-sideration as a project for the proposed Main Street redevelopment redevelop-ment agency. State Historical Society historian histor-ian Phil Notarianni described his involvement in the highway project, explaining that he was asked to do an informal study to determine if any of the highway alternatives would interfere with historic buildings, which could also set off a crippling lengthy study. ... Notarianni said the "east" alternative along the hillside appeared to call for the least impact of the several alternatives. Within this alternative alignment, there were only two buildings of possible historical significance. The city council has since begun condemnation procedures on the buildings and Notarianni has documented them. Questioning Notarianni's survey sur-vey of only the buildings in the area, Easy Street resident Steve Lloyd maintained "the whole area has historical significance." Notarianni answered that it was "a matter of judgment. It depends on how broad you want to look at historical significance." Fredrickson reported that most of the buildings on Easy Street are closer to the railroad tracks than the highway and might not be affected, although "some will be affected by the edge of the highway." Gary Avise, another Easy Street resident, asked if a path on flat land west of the area had been considered. Fredrickson answered that if the highway was built on the west side of Easy Street, it might infringe on the Depot project and would result in higher costs because of the high price of the property. "It may be less expensive to build in a flat area, but the cost of property will be much less on the hillside," said Fredrickson. Later in the meeting, Easy Street resident Susan Prigge presented a petition protesting the destruction of trees. Prigge said the petition was "not an effort to stop the highway," but an effort to get the highway to go around the trees. ., ' Hi 4 ,W iV v- Susan Prigge Phil Fredrickson reported that he had been told by a superior that the project would probably |