To some, the corner of S.R. 224 and Bear Cub Drive would be a beautiful place for Snyderville Basin’s first public cemetery. Others, though, have objections to the site near Bear Hollow. They’re concerned about traffic congestion in the surrounding area, parking problems, the impact on prop erty values, the effect on open space, noise from passing cars disturbing quiet moments at a gravesite and the possibility of the cemetery filling up very quickly. “I think having a cemetery visible from the highway is not a welcoming way to have people enjoy their ski vacation, especially with all the land that we have that you can’t see right over a hillside,” a Bear Hollow Village homeowner said. The resident made his comment on Wednesday at a joint hearing held by the Snyderville Basin Cemetery District Board and the Summit County Council to collect public input on the proposed site.  Board members have been working since 2023 to establish a burial ground in the unincorporated Snyderville Basin area because the Park City Cemetery is reserved for people who have lived in the municipality. The first choice for a site was 10 acres owned by Summit County and the Snyderville Basin Special Recreation District on the north side of Olympic Parkway, about a half-mile from the roundabout. That plan changed after opposition from community members and stakeholders, who said the cemetery would interfere with recreational activities at the site and was inappropriate next to a public trail network. In addition, there was a perception that having a cemetery along the roadway leading to the Olympic venues could be a psychological distraction for athletes and guests, according to the board. A proposed layout of the cemetery at the new location by Pete Gillwald, a landscape architect and board member, has burial plots, a memorial garden, cremation gardens, parking and a community building. Based on an interment rate of 25 a year, Gillwald estimates the cemetery could hold the remains of about 4,000 people and have capacity for 160 years. A resident who spoke at the hearing said she does not doubt the need for a cemetery but opposes the location. The current plan will destroy the open space there, as well as the wildlife habitat, the viewshed and the rural nature, she said. Another speaker said having a cemetery as a gateway into a town is “a little bit strange.” And a resident said he would want to be buried in a pastoral setting and not next to the highway. “I would want to be somewhere people can go have a quiet moment,” he said. “I fully support a cemetery for the county, but I just don’t think this is the right place.” Another community member, who supports putting the cemetery at the board’s preferred location, said road noise is not a problem at cemeteries. “This is actually a really great way to use this land that sits right next to 224,” she said. “Nobody wants to put their house next to 224, but people who are interred don’t care. Cemeteries are quiet, and if it’s beautiful, it can be a real amenity.” Some of the attendees at the hearing said they had not known about the new proposed location and the scheduled hearing until recently and wanted time to learn more about the issue. County Councilor Tonja Hanson suggested the cemetery board members hold an open house to show Bear Hollow residents their plans.  To sign up for notifications about the Snyderville Basin Cemetery District and Summit County meetings, visit summitcountyutah.gov/list.aspx. The post Community weighs in on proposed site for Snyderville Basin cemetery appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less