Bransford Land Company, the firm that recently filed a formal challenge to Deer Valley Resort’s plans to build a new lift, dropped the appeal on Monday afternoon, City Hall said on Tuesday.
A representative of Bransford Land Company did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment. Deer Valley did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
In a brief letter to Park City’s planning director, Anne Bransford, the chairman of the firm, did not provide details about the decision to drop the appeal.
“Effective immediately, Bransford Land Company, LLC respectfully withdraws our appeal to the Planning Commission’s approval of Lift 7 submitted on June 3, 2024. As always, BLC respects the efforts of your staff and Planning Commissioners. Thank you for your time and consideration,” the letter, released through a Park Record request under state open-records laws, said.
The sudden decision was unexpected after Bransford Land Company emerged as a chief critic of the resort’s planned route for a six-passenger lift on Park Peak, known for now as Lift 7. The lift would run for 0.56 of a mile on Park Peak and serve beginner terrain at the resort’s upper elevations. Deer Valley sees Lift 7 as a key connection to the terrain.
The Park City Planning Commission approved Lift 7 in a unanimous vote in May. Bransford Land Company filed the appeal shortly after the vote. The firm, which has long owned acreage in the area of the Lift 7 route, had argued there was another option for a lift alignment involving its land.
Bransford Land Company in its appeal argued for “a safer and less destructive plan for a Lift 7 pod.” The appeal said “the process was rushed and manipulated.”
“Public commenters supporting the application and Planning Commissioners maneuvering with the Applicant towards their shared goal of a quick approval cited unsupported assumptions about the benefits and logic behind Lift 7,” the appeal also said.
The Planning Commission cast the vote approving Lift 7 after a wide-ranging discussion and testimony from people who supported the lift and opponents. Supporters covered topics like the possibility of new terrain, especially for beginner skiers. Critics, though, were worried about issues like the impact on wildlife.
The Bransford Land Company challenge was slated to be put before the municipal Appeal Panel. A date had not been set.