A landowner in Deer Valley critical of plans to build a new lift at the resort formally appealed the approval of the upgrade, continuing to argue for an alternative.
The Bransford Land Company filed the appeal paperwork at City Hall in the period after the Park City Planning Commission approval of a six-passenger lift on Park Peak, currently known as Lift 7. The firm was a chief critic of the alignment as the Park City Planning Commission processed the Lift 7 application. The Planning Commission cast a unanimous vote in May after talks stretched through the spring.
Lift 7 would run for 0.56 of a mile on Park Peak and serve beginner terrain at the resort’s upper elevations. The resort sees the lift as a key connection to the terrain.
The challenge will be put before the municipal Appeal Panel.
The Bransford Land Company has long owned acreage in the area of the Lift 7 terrain. The appeal contends there was another option for a lift alignment involving the firm’s land.
“To support a safer and less destructive plan for a Lift 7 pod, BLC proposed using our adjacent land to allow the applicant to realign the lift and ski runs, relocate the bottom lift terminal, limit disturbance to vegetation and wildlife, and better comply with code and governing agreements,” the appeal says.
The filing says the Bransford Land Company “approached the applicant respectfully and repeatedly about an alternative plan for which BLC would offer an easement on part of our property.” It outlines that the Bransford Land Company “appealed to” City Hall staffers and the Planning Commission “to urge the planning director to ask the applicant for alternatives.”
The filing claims City Hall officials and the top staffer at Deer Valley Resort, President and Chief Operating Officer Todd Bennett, “misrepresented the status and potential of BLC land for constructing an alternative Lift 7 plan.”
“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, as well as the applicant’s industry reputation, as sufficient reasons to award the” permit, the challenge says.
It also contends the review of the lift “was rushed and manipulated.”
The Planning Commission approved Lift 7 after a wide-ranging discussion and testimony from supporters and critics. The supporters generally cited the possibility of new terrain, particularly for beginners, while critics worried about issues like the impact on wildlife. The Planning Commission as it cast the “Yea” vote included a set of conditions that addresses wildlife.
Deer Valley released a prepared statement regarding the appeal: “Deer Valley is grateful for the Park City Planning Commission’s unanimous approval of the Lift 7 CUP on May 22, 2024, and the community’s overall support for this project. We are committed to continuing to deliver on our original brand promise founded by the Stern family and are dedicated to our Expanded Excellence vision, evolving the ski experience for future generations. Lift 7 is a crucial part of our Expanded Excellence lift and terrain expansion, designed to add terrain for all skill levels while prioritizing skier safety, wildlife preservation, and managing the project’s environmental impact to uphold our commitment to sustainable growth. We take great pride in being good community partners and will continue to work with Park City Municipal and our partners through the appeal process.”