I recently viewed the renderings for the proposed 5-acre Bonanza Park development, and congratulations, Park City — you’ve successfully brought the aesthetic charm of 1970s Eastern Bloc Moscow to the Wasatch Back. Looking at those looming, multi-story structures, I was instantly transported to the golden age of Soviet brutalism. I can only assume our next step is queuing on Kearns Boulevard for a ration of overpriced artisan sourdough. Let’s look at the facts: The 46-foot peak: The proposed plan breaches the local 35-foot height limit. Apparently, the city believes our famous alpine horizons are a design flaw that desperately needs to be corrected. The architectural alibi: Brinshore Development claims extra roof gables mimic “historic mining architecture.” Because nothing says frontier mining quite like a monolithic, multi-story concrete block. The gridlock special: Cramming 106 units, 32,581 square feet of commercial space, and a new daycare into our most congested intersection is madness. Nothing teaches toddler safety quite like introducing recess to traffic blind spots and exposing developing lungs to idling exhaust fumes.  The municipal math: Park City bought this parcel in 2017 for $19.5 million. Over nine years of delays, taxpayers have bled funds into maintenance, all while losing nearly a decade of commercial tax revenue. Now updated estimates push total public funding past $83 million — a staggering investment of over $943,000 per income-restricted rental. To channel Inigo Montoya: The city keeps using the word “affordable,” but I do not think it means what they think it means.  I understand our need for workforce housing. However, demolishing zoning codes and blocking mountain views for a multi-million-dollar monument to municipal inefficiency makes zero sense at the gateway to beautiful Park City.   My numbers come from Park City budget discussions in March.  I did throw in a couple million for nine years of holding this property empty – maintenance, lost tax revenues, administrative costs, etc.  Phoebe Hailey  Park City The post A brutal plan appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less