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Show Park Avenue ski lift is popular at hearing mere were no skeptics in the audience when Park City's Planning Commission held a work session on the proposed Park Avenue ski lift. In fact, the commission had trouble restraining the residents from showing their supports. Harry Reed suggested the panel should ask for a show of hands to gauge support for the proposed ski lift. But Commission Chairman Cal Cowher demurred. "As long as I'm chairman, we're not going to have a vote in the middle of a work session." Cowher then called on Roy Renolds, who had his hand up. Said Reynolds, "I just wanted to show I support the project." With that, some 15 to 20 hands instantly shot up in the air. The lift would be located on Park Avenue, near the location of the old Coalition building. No one in the audience spoke against the project, which was the object of a progress report from the city staff. Commissioner Burnis Watts, however, objected that the ski lift brought site pollution to the most historic area of Park City. Watts said the report did not provide information on the lift's noise, or how it would be maintained during off-hours. "We should ask, whose benefit is this for," he said. But residents at the session ses-sion supported the project. Mac MacQuoid said the lift was needed to attract cust-tomers cust-tomers to Main Street. Without it, he added, activity would not begin there until the evening hours. "People get the feeling that Main Street is fat and rich," said MacQuoid. "Actually, it's fighting to survive. We're dependent on the ski business busi-ness and we have to get all the money out of it we can." MacQuoid said the parking problem around the lift could be solved by the proposed permit system. Parking was one of the foremost concerns outlined 'in the city's staff report. Senior planner John Eskelin said the applicant, the Park City Ski Area had presented a parking permit plan. Between the working hours of 9-5, a system would be in effect, allowing two auto permits for a resident, and two for possible guests. Regulation of guests won't be a big problem, said Eskelin, since, "you don't have parties during the day, except on weekends." The permit area would extend from Park Avenue to Norfolk and from First Street to 10th Street. The report also dealt with the following concerns: There is only one historic structure within the liftway, the Buck House at 713 Woodside. The resort, which has an option to buy the house, will consult with Building Inspector Ron Ivie on ways to preserve the structure. If not, Historic District approval will be required for its removal. The developer has been asked to improve pedestrian accesses in the area. These would include (a) the sidewalk side-walk from Main Street to the base of the lift (b) the crossing over Park Avenue to the sidewalk by Eighth Street, (c) the Crescent walkway above the Eighth Street area, and (d) walkways walk-ways at 5th and 6th Streets leading from the upper road of Woodside down to Main Street. (The lift will not extend directly west, but southwest, said Eskelin, south of the point where Lowell and Empire Avenues terminate. ) The city is working to establish setbacks and heights for the buildings at the lift site. The staff will also coordinate the lift plans with the nearby Depot Project. Pro-ject. A midstation located above upper Norfolk Avenue will allow customers to ski from there to the Midmoun-tain Midmoun-tain Lodge. The station will be located away from and above existing houses there, the report said. Staff has requested grading, grad-ing, revegetation and other landscaping information a-bout a-bout the new ski runs and the midstation. The city also wants additional details on the base facility, such as fencing, ski storage, and pedestrian access. Eskelin said the developers would downplay the lift area as a place for cars to drop off people. The only exception would be a drop-off area for buses. |
