The Park City Planning Commission and municipal officials received numerous correspondences in support of proposed lift upgrades sought by Park City Mountain. The correspondences were included in the materials compiled for an important Planning Commission meeting scheduled on Wednesday. The pane l may cast votes at the meeting on the applications for improvements to two lifts after the Vail Resorts ski mountain’s multiyear effort to win approval for the upgrades. Park City Mountain is seeking to replace the existing Eagle and Eaglet lifts with a six-passenger lift and install an eight-passenger lift as a replacement for the current six-passenger Silverlode Express lift. Procedural matters entangled earlier talks about the upgrades and the dispute went to state court. The ski resort this time is seeking permits from the Planning Commission rather than the staff-level approval sought during the earlier round. A Planning Commission process is seen as more robust than one at the staff level. The correspondences point to support from people who ski or snowboard at Park City Mountain, property owners close to the base, and other figures with a stake in the discussions. The correspondences in some cases include similar language to one another, making it appear likely there was a form document or similar draft that backers distributed among themselves. Excerpts from some of the correspondences in support include: “The current lift infrastructure at Park City is grossly out of date and inefficient. Ski days are constantly disrupted by stopped lifts due to antiquated lifts and maintenance issues which lead to long lift lines. As a ski town reliant on tourism, we need to support our ski areas,” Martha Krieg, identified as a Park City Mountain pass holder. “The on-mountain experience improves. Guest satisfaction improves. Property values at the base of those lifts are protected. Park City lost Sundance. We have Snow League and the Olympics ahead of us. This is the wrong time to block infrastructure investment at one of the country’s best ski resorts. Please approve these applications,” Samantha Carly, identified as a property owner in a lodge at the Park City-side base. “We are a mountain town. We are a ski town. We will again be hosting the world in 2034. Investments in lift infrastructure are essential to maintaining and improving the experience that defines our community and economy. These improvements enhance the guest experience and help continue positioning Park City as a positive, forward-thinking, world-class mountain destination,” Dave March, identified as someone who worked in the ski industry and now co-owns a corporate events firm. Elizabeth Lee, identified as a Park Meadows resident, submitted one of few correspondences raising questions. She outlined concerns about carrying capacity at Park City Mountain in the context of the proposed lift upgrades, saying that issue is “an important question and central to traffic, parking, resort expansion and most importantly in my mind, the quality of the skiing and living in our town.” “The essence of our town is about a lot more than skiing and if this upgrade happens as outlined, we will be living in a skiing mecca with a substantial loss of overall quality of life for all of us, particularly in the town limits,” Lee said. “Anyone who lived here for 2002 knows that while the Olympics are great fun, there is life after the Olympics, and we will all be living in the wake of it and these kinds of decisions.” The Planning Commission meeting on Wednesday is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. at the Marsac Building. Hearings are scheduled before possible votes on the two items. More information is available on the municipal website, parkcity.gov. The post Park City receives broad input supporting lift upgrades appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less