Council continues Empire Pass rezone request, buys Cooke Drive home for resale at $272,226 and funds $200,000 landscaping incentive; joint session with Summit County also held
January 24, 2023, 3:30 p.m. · City Council Chambers, 445 Marsac Avenue (joint session at 1885 W. Ute Blvd.)
On January 24, 2023 the council met jointly with the Summit County Council in the morning, then held a regular meeting at 3:30 p.m. with Council Member Jeremy Rubell excused. It voted 4-0 to continue a request to rezone six acres at the top of Empire Pass from Recreation and Open Space to Estate, approved a plat amendment and a housing plan amendment, and approved buying a deed-restricted home for $272,226. In a work session members favored a $2-per-square-foot turf replacement incentive tied to fire-wise planting.
From the approved minutes. Updated October 14, 2026.
Decisions at a glance
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Joint meeting: Bonanza Park neighborhood area plan and arts district; wrap-up | Discussed |
| 2023 landscaping incentive program | Discussed |
| SKM Engineering third addendum | Approved · 4-0 |
| Ordinance 2023-03: rezone of Bransford property from Recreation and Open Space to Estate | Continued · 4-0 |
| Ordinance 2023-04: Holiday Ranchettes Lots 30 and 31 first amended plat | Approved · 4-0 |
| Resolution 02-2023: amendment to the 2022 five-year moderate-income housing plan | Approved · 4-0 |
| Purchase of 1959 Cooke Drive | Approved · 4-0 |
| 2023 legislative update | Discussed |
Agenda, item by item
Item Joint 1-3 · Presentation
Joint meeting: Our Summit visioning, Olympic bid listening session data and bid status
Discussed
County staff described a county-wide visioning process targeted for completion around September 2023 and a 10-week Community Planning Lab. A mediation group reported on bilingual community conversations about an Olympic bid, and bid organizers said a 2030 and 2034 bid had been paused by the IOC in December citing climate concerns. Rubell urged the councils to assume the Games are coming and be transparent; Toly suggested a regional Wasatch Back discussion. No votes.
Item Joint 4-5 · Presentation
Joint meeting: affordable and workforce housing updates
Discussed
There are 1,095 affordable units in Summit County and 638 in Park City, together 1,790 units or 11.15 percent of occupied housing. City projects include Homestake (99 of 120 units affordable), Studio Crossing (185 affordable units), a lite-deed pilot and an employer rental incentive program; county projects include Silver Creek Village (330 units) and Slopeside (169). The city keeps land ownership at Homestake through a ground lease. A county-wide housing survey is the next step. No votes.
Item Joint 6-7 · General plan
Joint meeting: Bonanza Park neighborhood area plan and arts district; wrap-up
Discussed
Two RFPs issued in late 2022 are under evaluation, with a contract expected before council in February. The councils discussed re-engaging the school district, expiring childcare stabilization grants and UDOT updates on failing intersections. The next joint meeting is April 25.
Item Work · Taxes and fees
2023 landscaping incentive program
Discussed
The program pays $2.00 per square foot of turf replaced with water-wise landscaping, with $200,000 at launch through June 30, 2023, a 50 percent vegetative cover requirement and caps of $10,000 per single-family account and $50,000 for commercial, multi-family and irrigation accounts. Dickey, Doilney, Toly and Gerber favored the option requiring plants that are both low-water and fire-wise; Gerber proposed paying $2.00 for the full option and $1.00 for low-water only. Staff will launch the fire-wise option this spring.
- Budget$200,000
Item IV.1 · Contract
SKM Engineering third addendum
Approved · 4-0
Adds $370,869.27 for a total not to exceed $898,869.27.
- Change order$370,869 to SKM Engineering, LLC
Item V.1 · Zoning
Ordinance 2023-03: rezone of Bransford property from Recreation and Open Space to Estate
Continued · 4-0
Bransford Land Company asked to rezone six acres of a roughly 40-acre site at the top of Empire Pass near Red Cloud from Recreation and Open Space to Estate, conditioned on plat approval before January 24, 2025. It proposed two single-family homes of up to 10,000 square feet on three-acre pods, with the remaining 33 acres under a conservation easement. An attorney for Extell Development Company opposed it and urged keeping the conditions. Dickey and Doilney supported the two units but not rezoning before a plat exists; Toly favored approval but opposed the sunset clause; Gerber preferred moving rezone and plat together. Gerber moved to continue and asked the applicant to return with examples of similar rezones; the public hearing stays open.
- Applicant: Bransford Land Company
- Acres rezoned: 6 of about 40
- Current zone → proposed: Recreation and Open Space → Estate
Item V.2 · Subdivision
Ordinance 2023-04: Holiday Ranchettes Lots 30 and 31 first amended plat
Approved · 4-0
Removes a shared driveway easement required when the lots were re-established in 2014; they had been combined in 1999.
Item V.3 · Other
Resolution 02-2023: amendment to the 2022 five-year moderate-income housing plan
Approved · 4-0
Amends two strategies the state found deficient because of technical errors.
Item V.4 · Other
Purchase of 1959 Cooke Drive
Approved · 4-0
The agenda listed a $264,745 price; the approved terms, per the discussion and motion, were $272,226 with repairs not to exceed $3,650. Staff said the correct resale price is $275,876 less the repair estimate and that a three-person household at 69 percent of area median income could afford it. The unit has had one owner since 1995.
- Land deal$272,226
- Purchase$3,650
Item VI.1 · Other
2023 legislative update
Discussed
LGBTQ+ task force members asked council to oppose five bills on transgender care. Doilney gave full support to the community, Gerber said lobbyists should oppose the bills, Toly wanted more information before a statement and Dickey supported drafting a statement of opposition. The mayor summarized that a majority of council opposed the bills. No vote.
What residents said
Transgender legislationEmpire Pass rezoningTurf replacement rules
Four LGBTQ+ task force members and others asked council to issue a joint statement and use lobbyists to oppose five anti-transgender bills, saying such legislation could affect Sundance or the Olympic bid.