The Dakota Pacific Project is dead for now. Great Job Park City.

I firmly believe the only politics you can individually effect are local politics. Park City and Summit County residents demonstrated that with the Dakota Pacific project. Kudos to Mitch Solomon, and Friends of Summit County for Responsible Growth, for organizing an overwhelming community effort to Stop Dakota Pacific.

For all intents and purposes, Dakota Pacific is dead. Dakota Pacific has said they are working on a new proposal but that they cannot afford to spend another year working through details. Given that any reworked proposal will likely go back to the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission, there will be more than a year of discussions. Given Summit County is considering a development moratorium for six months, so that County Planners can catch a breathe, it’s likely more like two years for Dakota to come back. It sounds like Dakota’s economics won’t support that. That, in of itself, tells you something.

What that ultimately means is that Snyderville Basin residents have a chance to figure out what the area of land under the UOP should be. It could be a Tech Park. I am in favor of that. This winter so far has shown we have to diversify our economy. It could be a space for both affordable housing and an Olympic Village for the 2030 or 2034 Winter Olympics. If done well, that could solve a number of needs. It could be open space, trails, and an extension of Run-a-muck, if Summit County buys it at a discount and designates it as such.

Regardless, we the people did something special. A month ago the common wisdom was that four of five County Councilors would vote for Dakota Pacific. Today, that is no longer happening. Thanks to the people of the Snyderville Basin caring enough to become educated, showing up, and speaking, we made a difference.

No longer is Summit Couty giving a prized parcel away to a developer. We have the opportunity to make something better.

Thanks to all of you!