According to the 2010 Census, Coalville lost about 1.4 percent of its population about 19 people -- in the last decade. The city, which is the county seat, now has about 1,363 residents.

In contrast, other rural towns in Summit County grew in the last 10 years. Oakley grew by 55 percent and Francis grew by 54 percent.

With a population of 1,811, Kamas grew by 42 percent and the population of Henefer is up 12 percent. The new census numbers showed that Coalville was the only city in Summit County that shrunk.

Coalville resident Clinton Lewis said he recently moved his welding business to the town from Heber.

Coalville's lack of growth makes him nervous, Lewis said in an interview at his shop on Monday.

"I'm really surprised," Lewis said. "I love Coalville."

Lewis also bought a house near the corner of Main Street and Chalk Creek Road.

"I'm thinking people are going to have to move here, it's just so beautiful," Lewis said.

But Coalville may not have enough housing to support a population influx, he added.

"I don't see any homes going up," Lewis said.

Coalville was once a hotbed for mining, agriculture and mink ranching, but today people leave the town to find jobs. Mines that dotted the landscape drew people to Coalville decades ago after coal was discovered in the 1800s. Today most of the mines have been filled in.

Buildings along Main Street sit vacant even as city officials spruce up downtown.

"This place hurts for restaurants," Lewis said.

Coalville Mayor Duane Schmidt said a building that housed a theater sat empty on Main Street for years before the Ponce family opened a Mexican grocery store last weekend.

"They had to do a lot of work to get that in that building," Schmidt said.

Some buildings in the town are dilapidated, making it difficult to attract new businesses, he added.

Librada Ponce said her family spent months repairing the building before the grocery store opened.

"There were many holes everywhere and the building was not in good condition," Ponce said in an interview at her store on Monday. "This building was really bad."

But Ponce said her husband, Candelario, decided to open the market after he met Latinos living in Coalville.

"They said they needed a Mexican market here," she said. "We are really nervous because it's really small and we don't know how many Spanish-speaking people are living here."

Coalville resident Leon Simister said he closed his gift boutique on Main Street a few years ago.

"A town can only do as well as its businesses and they are failing left and right," Simister said in a telephone interview Monday. "Coalville has really dropped in stature."

The town has become a "bedroom community," he explained.

"If people like to shop, they go elsewhere. They don't even buy their gas here most of them," Simister said.

He lamented that many homes in the town are on the market.

"You drive around Coalville and everything is for sale. There are houses here for sale that I never thought would be for sale," Simister said. "But the older homes are something the young people aren't going to buy. We're lacking a lot of young blood here in Coalville and I don't know what you do to change that status."

Schmidt said new medium-income housing is needed for the town to grow.

"You've got plenty of houses for sale here, but you don't have new houses for sale," he said. "I think a lot of it revolves around a lack of what is available."

According to Schmidt, "the last couple years it's been horrible as far as growth."

"I don't know that we're in a freefall, but we do need to see some growth here," Schmidt said.

The post Coalville misses the boom appeared first on Park Record.

With Congress considering the budget, the Obama administration has proposed cutting the U.S. Department of Agriculture's self-help housing program. In Summit County, the program has resulted in the construction of about 57 homes since 2002.

Six self-help homes are under construction in the county today, said Scott Loomis, executive director of the Mountainlands Community Housing Trust.

Construction could begin on 10 more houses this summer.

"If the 2012 budget gets zeroed out, this next group that we're going to start in May or June may be our last group," Loomis said in a telephone interview.

Rural residents who qualify for the self-help program must work up to 1,200 hours during construction of the house to qualify for a subsidized loan, he said.

Kamas resident Becky Cranney said she built a home through the self-help program about two years ago. She lives in the Prairie Junction subdivision.

The subsidy was not a handout, Cranney insisted in a telephone interview Tuesday.

"You work hard for it," Cranney said.

She and volunteers worked on her house each week for about 30 hours.

"The reward is so great, you've got a home," Cranney said.

Cranney had recently divorced before entering the Mountainlands self-help program.

"A lot of people in my position, I don't think I would have ever been able to get a home," she said.

To qualify, buyers need decent credit and must be earning less than 60 percent of the area median income.

"It's been a real valuable program. They work hard and they get home ownership," Loomis said. "Without self help, their options would be very, very limited, probably impossible for most people."

Loomis recently traveled to Washington, D.C., as a member of the National Rural Housing Coalition. He said he tried to convince members of Utah's congressional delegation to support funding for the self-help housing program.

The program costs about $35 million to operate for a year and results in about 1,200 homes -- about 120 in Utah.

"They have to look at it and say what's benefiting their state? This program definitely benefits their state," Loomis said. "They see the benefits to Utah with their constituents being able to obtain home ownership and it's certainly an economic stimulus for the state. In a lot of areas it's pretty much the only game in town in terms of construction of new homes."

About 22 of the last 26 building permits issued for single-family homes in Kamas were Mountainlands self-help projects, he explained.

"Kamas and Oakley and Coalville and communities like that are definitely rural and there are not a lot of housing opportunities for them," Loomis said.

Financing for self-help mortgages comes from the USDA Rural Development direct loan program. Funding for that program would also drop from $1.1 billion to $211 million under a budget proposed for 2012.

"Locally, these two programs have been very instrumental in affordable housing for our community," Loomis said.

The federal subsidies allow the mortgages to be amortized over longer periods with lower rates, he explained.

"It's a pretty important program and without it our options for financing are going to be very limited for any kind of affordable housing," Loomis said.

The subsidized loans have been used to finance about 90 of the 129 homes Mountainlands has built in Summit County since 2002.

"They would normally qualify for like a $180,000 mortgage and they can qualify for $260,000 or $270,000 and get a much bigger home," Loomis said.

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Jon Paulding, who has experience managing non-profit organizations and is currently the development director for the USU College of Natural Resources, will begin his position at Swaner on March 15.

Paulding replaces Annette Herman Harder as executive director at the preserve. Harder is leaving Swaner to become chief operating officer for university advancement at USU.

"Reorganizing university resources this way best meets the needs of Swaner," Harder said in a prepared statement.

Last year, the Swaner board of directors bequeathed a state-of-the-art education center and land worth more than $30 million to Utah State University.

"We're really looking to beef up programming and get the public involved with that," Paulding said in a telephone interview Thursday.

Last year's arrangement transferred ownership of the 1,200-acre nature preserve at Kimball Junction to USU.

"[Swaner's] mission is to bring its research and its teaching capabilities to the ground in the communities of Utah," Paulding said. "This new partnership absolutely epitomizes that whole model."

The Park Record asked Paulding what attracted him to the job. Paulding has knowledge in fundraising and program development.

"I've done a lot of fundraising for projects in the state that our faculty do that have to do with improving wildlife habitat, stream restoration and climate-change issues," Paulding said. "We're just looking to really partner with the community to build relationships with the other nonprofits and the other environmental groups, and to showcase the role of sound science in conservation and land management."

Through Swaner USU officials aim to recruit more students from Summit County.

"We're going to be starting a summer camp for youth this summer at the Swaner preserve," Paulding said.

USU President Stan Albrecht said Paulding will help the university accomplish its goals related to the preserve.

"[Paulding's] experience with directing nonprofit organizations coupled with his close tie to the College of Natural Resources and his passion for conservation makes him a perfect fit," Albrecht said in a prepared statement.

Paulding spent about five years in his current position.

"I think I can really facilitate getting our faculty involved here in the Park City community," he said. "Part of my role will be to work with the community to develop corporate sponsorship and individual giving, to write grants for foundations and generally to bring in money to support all of these new programs that we want to launch."

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The legislation could require police officers and deputies check the immigration status of those stopped for serious crimes.

Rep. Joel Briscoe, a Democrat who represents a chunk of the Snyderville Basin, said he voted for the controversial guest worker program before voting against it.

Briscoe explained that the final version of House Bill 116 included an enforcement component, which he could not support.

"I voted against all of the immigration-enforcement bills," Briscoe said.

Briscoe also voted against House Bill 497. The bill was sponsored by Republican Rep. Stephen Sandstrom and approved by the Legislature.

If signed into law by the governor, H.B. 497 could require local officers verify the immigration status of anyone arrested for felonies or class A misdemeanors.

Deputies at the Summit County jail already verify the immigration status of most people booked into the facility, Summit County Sheriff Dave Edmunds explained.

"If you get arrested for a class A misdemeanor in Summit County you get booked," Edmunds said. "Anybody who gets booked into my jail on a class A misdemeanor, their immigration status gets checked and that includes Park City arrestees."

Meanwhile, many people are angry that lawmakers approved the issuance of work permits for people who are in the United States illegally.

If he signs the guest worker bill some conservatives have pledged to push for the ouster of Gov. Gary Herbert.

The measure amounts to an amnesty program for illegal immigrants, said Brian LaFave, founder of Park City Patriots, a group aligned with the Tea Party.

"My biggest problem with the guest worker program is we already have a work visa program. If people want to come to the United States on a work visa all they have to do is go to the consulate in their home country," LaFave said.

Boycott

In an effort to encourage Herbert to veto H.B. 497, some Latino groups have called for a boycott of businesses in Utah.

But Tony Yapias, a Latino activist in Salt Lake City, said he is against the boycott.

"We learned from Arizona that their boycott didn't really help anyone. It just hurt them more than anything," Yapias said. "If I felt that we really needed a boycott I would have been the first one who called it."

Legislation for migrant workers

Briscoe voted for a bill that would establish an agreement with a state in Mexico to bring migrant workers into Utah.

"It works legally and it also can legitimately bring in some labor that industries in Utah need," Briscoe said.

The Legislature also approved the measure, House Bill 466, which was on the governor's desk on Friday.

In-state tuition for immigrants

State lawmakers rejected a bill that could have changed a law that allows some illegal immigrants to receive in-state college tuition if they graduate from high school in Utah.

The passage of House Bill 191 could have meant that some students would no longer qualify for lower tuition rates. The Legislature did not approve the bill.

Driving privilege cards

This year, an effort in the Legislature to repeal driving privilege cards failed. Illegal immigrants who obtain Utah driving privilege cards are allowed to operate motor vehicles in the state.

Senate Bill 138 could place new requirements on those obtaining or renewing the driving permits. Applicants would need to submit fingerprints and a photograph to the state.

The fingerprints would be compared with criminal databases, according to S.B. 138.

The post Lawmakers pass immigration reform appeared first on Park Record.

Senate Bill 231 did not receive a vote in the Senate before the Utah legislative session ended at midnight. The bill was sponsored by Republican Sen. Mark Madsen of Utah County.

By creating a so-called film enterprise zone, S.B. 231 could have allowed the Quinn's Junction Partnership to develop a movie studio on about 30 acres of land along the State Road 248 entryway into Park City.

Some local leaders were against the bill because the legislation could have overridden local zoning rules to benefit a private developer.

The Utah League of Cities and Towns and Utah Association of Counties expressed opposition for S.B. 231, Park City Mayor Dana Williams said.

"I think they saw the potential effects on their own communities, that this could be setting a precedent that the state can come in whenever they think something is economically viable and spot zone," Williams said.

Passage of S.B. 231 could have resulted in hundreds of thousands of square feet of commercial development being built at Quinn's Junction without input from the public, he explained.

Williams said he was pleased the Legislature did not approve the bill.

But Park City's relationship with the most powerful lawmakers on Utah's Capitol Hill must improve if local officials expect to prevent similar bills from being introduced next year, he added.

"What I would like to do is possibly bring them up with their wives and have dinner here in Park City, let them get to know who we are, what we do and what our demographics are here," Williams said. "There is that image that we are all these wealthy people who live in starter castles, and I think it would be really worthwhile for them to come and see who we actually are."

The city has wrangled with Quinn's Junction Partnership attorney Greg Ericksen over development approvals at Quinn's for several years. Local leaders claimed Ericksen convinced Madsen to introduce S.B. 231.

"I think if we don't get things settled with Greg Ericksen we will face this again next year," Williams said. "We're going to need to work on how we settle that."

Supporters of the film studio claimed local leaders have unfairly blocked the development proposal at Quinn's Junction. Ericksen has fought for years to get a project approved on the land.

Madsen said Raleigh Studios is interested in operating a production facility in the Park City area. Locating the studio at Quinn's Junction could attract some of Hollywood's most high-profile films, he said.

Supporters said the studio would create jobs and economic activity.

Coalville Mayor Duane Schmidt said he is not against building a movie studio at Quinn's Junction.

He said the entire county could benefit from a production facility.

"From the individuals that I talk to, if there is a film studio here, it would definitely increase the activity of filming in Summit County," Schmidt said.

Small towns on the East Side of Summit County would likely provide sets for the film crews, he said.

"For cities like Coalville and Kamas and Francis and Oakley there would probably be an uptick," Schmidt said.

The post Time runs out on film studio bill appeared first on Park Record.

In December, Marty Lee Giles, 46, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, which are both second-degree felonies. For each count, Giles was sentenced to serve one to 15 years in prison.

The sentences will run concurrently. Giles was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine for each charge.

Last July, Giles was accused of using a stolen pickup truck to run down a police officer on the West Side of Summit County.

The officer from the Salt Lake Unified Police Department was on foot when he was struck by the vehicle as Giles tried to escape in Summit Park, Summit County Attorney David Brickey said.

"As [Giles] was attempting to walk back to the stolen vehicle the officer identified himself and said stop," Brickey explained. "Giles continued to walk away from the officer, attempted to get in his vehicle and drive away. At that point the officer identified himself, tried to reach in and stop the defendant from driving away and the defendant accelerated down the hill with the officer's arm in the vehicle, dragging him along the side of the car."

A rear tire on the vehicle rolled over the officer's hip and ankle, Brickey added.

"He's got a lifetime injury and something that, according to the officer at sentencing, will probably prohibit him from being able to get to a 30-year retirement because of his physical condition," Brickey said.

He added that the truck was stolen from an area the officer patrols in Salt Lake County.

"When the car was initially listed stolen it had one of those OnStar tracking systems that was immediately activated," Brickey said.

The vehicle was discovered heading east through Parleys Canyon.

"As the vehicle got to the top of Summit Park it turned off at the summit and the OnStar signal dropped out," Brickey said.

The officer then spotted the truck in Summit Park.

According to Brickey, Giles is a "menace to society."

"He went to prison where he deserved to be and hopefully he will be there for a very long time," Brickey said.

Summit County Sheriff Dave Edmunds said he was on the scene the day the officer was injured.

Giles deserved to spend the rest of his life in prison, Edmunds said.

"If I had my druthers he'd never get out," Edmunds said. "[Giles] tried to kill a police officer. I believe that strongly, and in our society that's a pretty big deal. Police officers and sheriff deputies are the most conspicuous manifestations of government that we have and when you attack them, really in my opinion, it's an attack on the government."

Giles was represented by Ron Yengich, an attorney in Salt Lake County. Yengich was not available to comment about the case.

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There are three vacancies on the Planning Commission. Commissioners Ken Henrie and Chris Ure are seeking reappointment. Eastern Summit County Planning Commissioner Jill Houston did not seek reappointment to the board. Her term of the Planning Commission ends this year.

Council members are scheduled to announce their decision on Wednesday.

"I honestly think this could be the most thankless job in the county," County Councilman John Hanrahan said.

Last Wednesday, members of the County Council interviewed Ure, Henrie, Sean Wharton and Mike Crittenden.

Chris Ure

Ure is the son of Summit County Councilman Dave Ure. Dave Ure left the room and did not participate when the County Council interviewed his son last week.

Chris Ure, a South Summit resident, was appointed to the Planning Commission to replace former Planning Commissioner KayCee Simpson. Simpson was removed from the Planning Commission a few years ago after he violated the attendance policy by missing too many meetings.

During the interview, Ure told councilpersons that in Summit County "private property rights get stepped on more than anything."

"I think we overlook property rights for open space and things like that," Ure said.

The development rules on the East Side do not allow landowners to build large enough projects on their property, he said.

"We're kind of forcing people to keep things open that way," Ure said.

He said that new Planning Commission members face a steep learning curve.

"It's very challenging to learn the codes and learn where this will work and this won't work," Ure said. "It's a time-consuming job and there is a lot of paperwork and things to go into it."

Despite land his family owns in Summit County, Ure said serving on the Planning Commission does not present any conflicts of interest.

Ure works at Ure Ranches.

Ken Henrie

The other incumbent seeking reappointment to the Planning Commission is North Summit resident Ken Henrie.

"I've learned a lot," Henrie said about his time on the Planning Commission. "I've found it gives me a sense of community."

Henrie said he is retired from a career at United Parcel Service.

One of the top issues facing the East Side of Summit County is growth, Henrie explained.

"The challenge is to make growth happen in a way that doesn't deteriorate what we've got," he said. "Luckily we have clean air, clean water, the open spaces."

Responding to a question about trails, Henrie said many citizens say more public trails are not needed on the East Side of Summit County.

"I haven't talked to anybody who lives in this area that wants a trail system put up Chalk Creek for instance," he said.

Some eastsiders are still not ready to welcome more bicyclists into the community, Henrie said.

Often cyclists take up too much space on the roadways, he told members of the County Council.

"The people don't like it, they don't like it at all," Henrie said.

Sean Wharton

This year was the first time South Summit resident Sean Wharton applied for a seat on the Planning Commission. Wharton is the operator of Gateway Grille in Kamas.

"I want to be involved," Wharton told members of the County Council. "There is no self-serving interest. I'm just a concerned citizen and I have lived here my whole life. It's something that I have a lot of interest in."

He said he would consider supporting loosening the development codes to allow more projects to be built on the East Side.

"I think there is some demand that would create jobs We need to do something in order to keep spurring on our economic development," Wharton explained. "I would say the codes are probably fair, but they need to be utilized a little bit more."

He said he would like to see alternative energy like wind and solar power used more on the East Side.

"I think we need to look at these things," he said. "There are still a lot of opportunities out there."

Mike Crittenden

North Summit resident Mike Crittenden said he has deeply held opinions about planning issues in the county.

"I have strong feelings but I think I play well with others," Crittenden said.

Crittenden was a member of the committee that recommended a few years ago that the form of government in Summit County change. Voters supported the recommendation and adopted the change.

Crittenden said that more mixed-use and commercial development may be needed on the East Side.

He also said that he is not opposed to public trails.

Crittenden owns a house and about 56 acres of land in North Summit. But he said he does not foresee having a conflict of interest if appointed to the Planning Commission.

Crittenden is employed by Pfizer.

The post County Council set to appoint planning commissioners appeared first on Park Record.

But as the legislative session entered its final week, Van Tassell said lawmakers may end up having to vote on about 500 pieces of legislation.

"The next three days are always in some ways the most interesting of the session," said Van Tassell, a Republican who represents the Park City area.

He said one of his biggest challenges this week will be reading the bills that are sent to the Senate from the state House of Representatives.

"We'll have enough time to at least get through the bills and be somewhat familiar with them. The focus for me will be to get familiar with a lot of them in the next three days to make sure that we know what we're doing," Van Tassell said. "It's a terrible process but it's not all bad It's a good way to make sausage at the end of the day."

To better understand the legislation he said he will rely on House votes, recordings from committee meetings and feedback from the public.

"The process is like taking a drink from a fire hose, but you trust the committees," Van Tassell explained.

Guest worker program

State lawmakers approved a bill this year that could set up a way for illegal immigrants to work in Utah.

The direction of the national immigration debate could shift with passage of the guest worker program, House Minority Leader David Litvack, a Democrat, told reporters on the Hill.

"We all hope this changes the way that Congress will take on the issue," Litvack said. "The polar opposites at the extremes have really controlled the debate on immigration."

House Bill 477

Lawmakers last week rushed to pass a controversial bill that could restrict public access to politicians' voice mails, text messages, video chats and other electronic communication.

The House and Senate approved House Bill 477. But lawmakers recalled the bill on Monday.

"It went through fairly fast and there were some issues there," Van Tassell said. "It looks like maybe it went too far."

Instead of H.B. 477 taking effect immediately, if the bill is signed by the governor, lawmakers voted to delay its implementation until this summer.

The bill would change the Government Records Access and Management Act, which was enacted in Utah nearly two decades ago. Members of the public use the law to request access to government documents.

"At the time that law was written we hadn't even heard of Twitter and some of those things," Van Tassell said.

The only Summit County lawmaker who voted against the bill last week was Rep. Joel Briscoe, a Democrat who represents a chunk of the Snyderville Basin.

Van Tassell supported the bill last week.

"I'm not worried about what's going on in my e-mails or texts; they're welcome to have it. But the fishing expeditions are costly and in some ways unfair because they get hold of personal records," Van Tassell said. "There have been a couple instances, even with the state. Attorneys have got a hold of those and they have been used against the state to prepare the defense."

Money for charter schools

A bill that would take money away from traditional public schools to provide to charter schools is one of Briscoe's top concerns on Capitol Hill. If House Bill 313 is approved funding school districts receive from local property taxes would shift to charter schools when students transfer away from traditional public schools.

"I'm very concerned about the impact that could have on school districts like Park City," Briscoe said.

Tourism funding

Briscoe also said he worked this year to make funding available for tourism promotion in Utah.

According to Van Tassell, the budget lawmakers approve this week could include $7 million for tourism.

"We're maintaining that $7 million in the base budget that we had last year, which in my opinion is the right thing to do," Van Tassell said.

Meanwhile, lawmakers must approve a balanced budget by Thursday.

The Executive Appropriations Committee approved a base budget bill Monday night, Van Tassell said.

"That'll be coming forward early today going through both bodies," Van Tassell said Tuesday.

He added that he doesn't expect the cuts to public education to be as deep as some people feared.

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Sen. Mark Madsen said Raleigh Studios is interested in operating a studio in the Park City area. Senate Bill 231 could allow the Quinn's Junction Partnership, which owns about 30 acres of land along the State Road 248 entryway, to build hundreds of thousands of square feet of commercial development on the property.

But local leaders have expressed opposition for S.B. 231 because the legislation would override the planning rules at Quinn's Junction. Officials say zoning in the area would allow the Quinn's Junction Partnership to build about 85,000 square feet.

According to Summit County Councilman Chris Robinson, the legislation could allow more than 500,000 square feet of commercial space near the intersection of U.S. 40 and S.R. 248.

"We'll take our best shot at trying to defeat the bill," Robinson said.

Madsen's bill appeared to be stalled in the state Senate on Tuesday. Once positioned for a reading on the Senate floor, S.B. 231 was sent back to a committee on Monday.

"We hope it means this is going to die a slow death," Park City Mayor Dana Williams said. "I think the fact that it has been sent back to committee bodes well for us. It's going to have to get a vote now to get out of committee and then get back on to the floor, and if it passes the Senate it must still go to the House."

The Utah League of Cities and Towns is against the bill. Madsen and Quinn's Junction Partnership attorney Greg Ericksen made presentations to the group on Monday hoping to gain support for the legislation.

However, the appeals from Madsen and Ericksen had the opposite effect, Williams said.

"The presentations by Madsen and Ericksen didn't sway them at all. It seems to me that a lot of people kind of went from 'well no' to 'hell no.'"

Several members of the League of Cities and Towns expressed disdain for S.B. 231.

"This is bad policy," said Gary Hill, city manager of West Point.

According to North Salt Lake Community Development Director Ken Leetham, "there is simply no need for this type of legislation."

Madsen, a Republican, spoke to The Park Record in an interview on Capitol Hill. Discussions about a movie studio in the Park City area have been underway for several years, he said.

The actions of local leaders have impacted property rights by blocking development at Quinn's Junction, Madsen said.

"I have a longstanding record of standing up for property rights," Madsen said.

He insisted the bill would not usurp local zoning.

"It's a light touch in response to a heavy hand," Madsen said.

He added that many residents in Summit County have expressed support for a movie studio at Quinn's Junction.

"I think that the local people are supportive," Madsen said.

Still, the two state senators who represent Summit County said they would vote against S.B. 231. The legislative session ends Thursday.

"Nothing's dead up here until Thursday night at midnight," said Sen. Kevin Van Tassell, a Republican who represents Park City. "But to bring [S.B. 231] forward again it will take a suspension of the rules and a two-thirds vote to bring it up. I don't think that is there as I work the body."

Meanwhile, the Park City area has apparently caught the eye of several film executives. Now two production companies claim to be interested in operating movie studios on the Wasatch Back.

The latest proposal came from Utah-based Sunrise Eco Studios. The company has proposed production facilities in Heber and Midway, according to Park City Manager Tom Bakaly.

"Until now Utah has lacked the support infrastructure needed to be competitive with other states for major film productions," Sunrise Eco Studios representative Ken Patey said in a prepared statement sent to City Hall. "Sunrise Eco Studios new film complex levels the playing field and provides Utah what is needed to bring film jobs and economic growth to the state."

According to the statement, the main studio would be located in the old Wasatch High School, which was recently vacated. Another facility may be built near Wasatch Mountain State Park in Midway. The main studio may include 170,000 square feet on 10 acres.

"The location is ideal and only 15 [minutes] from Park City and Sundance," according to Patey.

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Mountain Trails Foundation Executive Director Charlie Sturgis said the first sighting was reported about two weeks ago.

"I'm seeing tons of deer now and hadn't been," Sturgis said. "You're going to see that cougar want to follow deer around."

About six people have reported recent mountain lion sightings.

"To see all these cougars spotted during the daytime -- it's kind of unusual. Cats are nocturnal by nature," Sturgis said in a telephone interview. "I'm sure as winter goes away, the cat will go away and everything will go back to normal."

One person who reported a sighting said they were walking when they spotted a mountain lion. The cat was described as weighing about 100 pounds. It was spotted about 50 yards from a trail.

"If people stay on a heightened sense of awareness I think people are going to be just fine," Sturgis said.

Round Valley is a popular location for hikers, snowshoers and cross-country skiers.

People should be cautious when letting their dogs run loose, Sturgis said.

"Dogs off of leashes are a concern, small dogs are a concern, but a cat, if it's basically backed into a corner, it is going to take anything on," he said. "It's definitely going to take on a person."

The sightings were reported in the Valderoad and Rademan Ridge areas of Round Valley. Sturgis said he thinks there is more than one mountain lion.

"The first person who sent me an e-mail said they saw the mountain lion at like 9:30 in the morning," Sturgis said. "We've had repeated sightings in the same area When you're talking about seeing multiple sightings of cougar at daytime hours, that's pretty rare."

There is information posted near the trailheads informing people what to do if they encounter a mountain lion.

"You have to take an aggressive position with a cat," Sturgis said. "If a cat were to actually attack you, you need to be fighting for your life. A cat will just kill you outright."

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