There is some green space stretching through sections of a development concept on land owned by the Park City municipal government, but opponents of the proposed project are questioning how much the land left undeveloped would be worth to the community. The project team is scheduled to appear at a Park City Planning Commission meeting on Wednesday as discussions about the concept continue. The project is a partnership between the municipal government and Chicago-area firm Brinshore Development LLC, and is slated for land stretching inward from the southwest corner of the intersection of Kearns Boulevard and Bonanza Drive. The materials prepared in anticipation of the meeting include a landscaping plan. The graphic shows green spaces effectively surrounding the locations where buildings would be placed, including in the interior of the approximately 5-acre site. One of the green spaces is identified as an amphitheater, while another is labeled as a commons. They appear to be the two largest individual green spaces and would be separated by an arts pavilion and two play spaces. There are also groves, as well as what is described as a “fitness lawn,” that are colored green on the graphic. There are various strips of space with green coloring toward the perimeter of the concept, including along Kearns Boulevard and Bonanza Drive. The green spaces on the graphic are important amid the broader talks, as critics continue to push to turn the land into park space. The partnership touts the concept as including open space covering 60% of the land, far more than is required under the zoning at the location. Critics, though, see the possibility of creating a park with limited collateral development. The municipal government provided summaries of some of the locations on the landscaping plan: The commons is envisioned “as a flexible community gathering space that can accommodate general outdoor use, including active and passive activities such as food trucks, special events, birthday parties, and picnics.” The amphitheater is “planned as a small-scale outdoor gathering space for community programming, performances, and events.” The groves are “landscaped green spaces with more trees designed for shade and site beautification.” The play spaces and a welcome plaza are “public amenities and are included in the project’s open space calculation, as defined by the Land Management Code, excluding the play area dedicated for the use of the childcare center.” The Land Management Code contains the municipal government’s detailed development rules. “The 2-acre plaza at the heart of the project is designed to create opportunities for year-round community connection — a place where locals can grab a coffee or a meal, engage with local artists, enjoy live music, watch their kids explore innovative play spaces, or check out the latest food truck offerings. It’s a flexible, programmable space that will evolve over time to meet the changing needs and interests of the community, while always keeping community connection in mind,” said Clayton Scrivner, the city’s director of communications. The materials for the Planning Commission meeting compare the public gathering spaces in the concept to other locations, saying the just under 2 acres is slightly less than the 2.1-acre Library Field but more than the acreage at Prospector Park or at the core of the Canyons Village base at Park City Mountain. A group in opposition to the concept, PLACE PC, formed in recent months and has concerns about various aspects of the concept. PLACE PC wants leaders to create park space on the land, arguing such an amenity would be centrally located to neighborhoods. Park Meadows resident Kelly Pfaff, who is involved with the group, early in the week continued to question what the development team considers to be open space. She described some of the green spaces identified on the graphic as a private park that would be open to the public. She also called other green spaces “patches of grass.” “They’re trying to compare it to the library park,” she said, referring to a popular green space next to the Park City Library. She said the development partnership is “trying to portray something that’s not true.” The partnership is “intellectually dishonest” regarding the open space, she said. “They’re trying to fool the public, like we’re getting a huge piece of open space,” she said. The development concept also includes: 88 units of income-restricted rentals. 18 rentals without income restrictions. More than 30,000 square feet of space for tenants like retailers, restaurants, cafes and art spaces for not-for-profit organizations. A childcare location. The Planning Commission meeting is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. at the Marsac Building. A hearing is planned. More information is available on the municipal website, parkcity.gov. The direct link to the meeting materials is: parkcityut.portal.civicclerk.com/event/3676/overview. The post Park City’s 5-acre Bonanza site has green space, but critics question community value appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less