Open Space Update
Photography: Donald Pineforest
Like many resort communities in the West, Park City has been working for years to balance development pressures with the need to preserve the open spaces that are cherished by both our local population and visitors. This past winter has seen some real triumphs for local land preservation:
First of all, the Basin’s Open Space Advisory Committee (BOSAC) purchased 20 acres of prime development land off Highway 224 in November. This land, which many people will recognize as the former Miss Billie’s Kids Kampus, will provide important trail connections and playing fields. At the close of the sale, Miss Billie was moved to tears, knowing that the land she had cherished — land that had heard the laughter of a generation of young Parkites — would forever remain as open space for the children of Park City’s future.
In December 2008, Park City and Summit County struck a significant agreement with the Boyer Company and the LDS Church to purchase two parcels totaling approximately 680 acres in Snyderville Basin. The first 340-acre property is located along the road to the Utah Olympic Park; the second 340 acres adjoins City-owned open space near the Trailside area of Round Valley. Former County Commissioner Bob Richer, who served as the Commission liaison to BOSAC points out that the Kimball Junction parcel “could have been used to develop 800 residential units with all the associated impacts on schools, infrastructure and traffic. We’re protecting Park City’s entry corridor [with this purchase] as well as adding to our collective back yard in Round Valley.”
Finally, the Summit Land Conservancy has completed its wildlife study of the 180-acre Quarry Mountain parcel that was purchased in December 2007 with City and County funds. The mountain, which rises to the east of the McPolin Farm, is critical habitat for elk in the winter and moose year-round. The conservation easement prioritizes the wildlife habitat, limiting trails to a small portion of the property. “This is important calving terrain for the elk,” notes Greg Peters, Conservation Director for the Summit Land Conservancy. “People and their dogs could have serious impacts on the wildlife. The City and County agreed that Quarry Mountain should be kept for wildlife and not covered with new trails.”
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