[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6124094,"mediaKeyId","2686379-515484daa5ac3d07bc4dcac44163b8cb","parentId",2686379,"title","Commission approves Quicksilver solar expansion and Mosaida Energy natural-gas plant with road, access and decommissioning conditions","audioSeconds",3685,"startMs",5585000,"endMs",9270000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2686379-515484daa5ac3d07bc4dcac44163b8cb&start=5585&end=9270","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2686379-515484daa5ac3d07bc4dcac44163b8cb/thumbnail_5585000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6124094/Utah/Commission-approves-Quicksilver-solar-expansion-and-Mosaida-Energy-natural-gas-plant-with-road-access-and-decommissioning-conditions","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6124094-2b957feb362c762c5a4ea9ef5be675db/orig.mp4?Expires=1770991929&Signature=Trb8KkmWRiW71j6ygvJlFFIZEfuBho0ODgBguwhUZ3U6BvTbo~QclJlbvVADdDDLc3-~HaVS039CMJvGMx6bSGR9z~UQOsHQkBxn4CQQeMIwNC1eFnn~Q5GGXZt28SqlKvLujNV2kzcSbpmT5yHmyyxGViXfvOYfOlmmldt3GlB8gV9413mooZvnTZnxPSNbakoF5X35hMENcuroOvuF7Dy4H5EXApiKIZsQvwoQ-~ZEngx8Dp8o9ezFX5xWTQdiKz9CzUOESFRjApswIjURduK6~mBVmku7wvPHiZybWA9efZMjQt~aYSRpo-QQmPKbvD8IyYGpWl9e5VC28Fz1iA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-03-13T17:03:53Z","article","The Utah County Planning Commission approved two related land-use items brought by renewable-energy developers: (1) an amendment to the Quicksilver solar conditional-use approval to add about 480 acres and (2) a separate conditional-use approval for a natural-gas electrical generation facility sited in the Cedar Valley area.

Quicksilver amendment and access: the applicant requested an amendment to expand an earlier approved solar facility (the Quicksilver project) by roughly 480 acres. Staff recommended approval with the addition of a condition that reserved a 56-foot-wide access corridor to ensure that properties isolated by the expanded layout would retain a route for future access. Adrienne Bell of Holland & Hart, representing the developer, said the parcels added are intended to improve project contiguity and that the company will agree to the 56-foot reserved access requirement.

Public commenters from Fairfield, Lehigh and nearby unincorporated communities told the commission that construction traffic has previously strained local roads. Fairfield Mayor Holly McKinney said the town’s local roads were not designed for frequent heavy freight traffic and asked that developers be required to obtain easements and contribute to road maintenance. Local landowners and a Lehigh planning commissioner asked for surveys and legal assurances that islanded parcels would have recorded rights of access. Staff proposed — and the commission adopted — an added condition that a preferred construction-access route be approved by county public-works staff, developed in consultation with adjacent jurisdictions where feasible, and that developers be required to repair and restore any public or private roads damaged by construction traffic.

Mosaida Energy natural-gas plant: the commission also approved a conditional-use application for a natural-gas-fired electrical generation facility that the applicant said could include up to 12 combustion turbines and is intended to provide firm, round-the-clock power to underwrite data-center and other large power customers in the near term. Greg Probst, consultant for the applicant, said the project is part of a combined strategy to pair new solar and battery resources with dispatchable generation to supply firm power while regional transmission upgrades proceed. He told commissioners the team has secured an interconnection bay at the nearby substation and is coordinating water, pipeline and air-quality permitting; he also said a likely construction workforce would number several hundred and permanent staffing would be in the low double digits.

Conditions and follow-up: commissioners required several clarifying conditions for both approvals. Those included: (a) a reserved access corridor for properties isolated by the Quicksilver amendment; (b) an approved construction-access route to be reviewed and approved by county public works in coordination with adjacent jurisdictions; (c) a requirement that any roads used for construction be maintained and restored and (d) a decommissioning plan and financial assurance (bond) for the solar project. Staff also noted that tower heights, exhaust stacks and a water tank associated with the gas plant will require separate conditional-use reviews and cannot be resolved in the current general approvals.

Public concern: speakers emphasized road wear and safety from heavy construction traffic, incomplete easements and non-standard property surveys, and uncertainty over panel decommissioning and disposal. The applicant said access would primarily be from Eagle Mountain via Lake Mountain Road; that they will perform site surveys, obtain necessary easements and work with Eagle Mountain for road upgrades; and that decommissioning plans and bonds will be submitted at permit stage.

Outcome: both items passed on motions to approve with staff-recommended findings and the additional access/road and decommissioning conditions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Utah County Planning Commission Public Meeting - March 18, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Utah County Planning Commission approved an amendment to expand the Quicksilver solar project and separately approved a Mosaida Energy natural-gas electrical generation plant, adding conditions on access, road improvements and decommissioning to address local concerns.","taxTitle","Utah County Planning Commission, Utah County Commission and Boards, Utah County, Utah","taxId",19377,"location","Utah","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6124099,"Utah County planning panel approves five-year extension for Snowbird’s Mary Ellen Gulch lift permits",925,0,925000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2686379-515484daa5ac3d07bc4dcac44163b8cb&start=0&end=925","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2686379-515484daa5ac3d07bc4dcac44163b8cb/thumbnail_0.jpg","/articles/6124099/Utah/Utah-County-planning-panel-approves-five-year-extension-for-Snowbirds-Mary-Ellen-Gulch-lift-permits","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6124099-ddc2b5bb4d20efcad61858cfe4941e36/orig.mp4?Expires=1770991929&Signature=NBih1aEM2rLi2IZWlUEOPbRmZ-2gcSFJbf8l8nHo~LpNU4u8QMEZtrYVCoZmn2Hfrd366pPGOrcCtU6wzAFjygRXcWVxg-1fgWM-i~gxWIP4ZWhsliAzRIATIonCLL37kBiYGwVqNGvqVgnf3EufZWAitNo5kNduxWpAMKLlKVnK2gPE~OH5qoDtk3VBoFmF9--rCZfiWy46EWDVqRCpt11xBlBY8cF2NrH~gubvcHbWRo-nD~JjNBQnQ8~cAbNgCAwn0ATqduPQuoT0HBZVMdKlkovjLuzg6nUHMBX5XR~0XXnE31VLTLRQ9VdK12tPT6rYv3sTWnGU~DgsHhU9Ug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Utah County Planning Commission on a vote approved a five-year extension of termination dates for two previously granted conditional-use approvals that would allow Snowbird to seek permits to install two ski lifts and associated mountain-resort facilities in Mary Ellen Gulch.

Snowbird President and General Manager Dave Fields told the commission the company has continued water-quality monitoring, worked with state and federal agencies on the Live Yankee mine area, and made improvements to riparian access and vegetation while researching newer lift technologies. \"We will continue to protect the Canyon Mountain riparian zone and other areas of environmental concern in Utah County,\" Fields said. He said lift access would be exclusively from Little Cottonwood Canyon and that construction would likely rely heavily on helicopter lifts because of remote, seasonal access.

The extension is the latest in a sequence of approvals dating to April 7, 2016, when conditional-use permits for the Mineral Basin and Mary Ellen Gulch lifts were approved with multiple conditions and a termination date the then-approval set to obtain permits by April 7, 2020. The county approved a prior extension in 2019 to April 7, 2025; the commission on the latest motion extended the deadline to April 7, 2030, restating the earlier conditions and staff findings.

Why it matters: opponents said the extension lets a long-running project remain pending while environmental and recreational concerns persist, and asked for tighter controls on access, water safeguards and visual impacts. Supporters, including Snowbird board member Colby Rollins, said years of sampling and agency reviews show improved water conditions and that more time was needed to select appropriate lift technology, complete engineering and sequence construction around short, snow-free work seasons.

Discussion and public comment: the meeting drew substantial public participation. Speakers raised the Live Yankee mine and legacy mine tailings as a continuing concern, the risk to springs and downstream culinary water, scenic impacts of lift towers visible from valley vantage points, and the potential for expanded resort infrastructure to change recreation patterns in American Fork Canyon. Maricopa County counsel and county staff repeatedly emphasized that the matter before the commission was an administrative question limited to whether an extension is necessary to achieve \"substantial justice\" for an already-approved use — not a rehearing of the original conditional-use approvals. County counsel summarized that the standard for extension is whether additional time is reasonable and necessary to allow the project to meet previously imposed conditions.

What the commission decided: Commissioners moved, seconded and voted to approve staff’s recommendation to extend the termination dates and to restate the 2016 and 2019 conditions, with the commission recording its expectation that the extension should allow completion of the required preconstruction work (including water baseline monitoring and engineering) and indicating that this commission considered it likely the final extension. The formal motion as entered into the record restated staff findings and the prior action reports and conditions.

Next steps and limits: approval of the extension does not authorize construction. Snowbird must still obtain permits required by the county and other agencies before any ground-disturbing work begins, and separate approvals are required for construction permits and for any towers that exceed ordinance height limits. The county reiterated that the conditional use remains an allowed administrative use so long as its conditions can be met; the extension only changes the deadline to obtain implementing permits.

Ending: Commissioners and staff said the decision balances property-ownership and administrative law principles with community concerns; opponents reserved hope that future permit reviews would scrutinize access, water-monitoring plans and visual mitigation during the project-level permitting steps.","The Utah County Planning Commission voted to extend Snowbird’s previously approved conditional-use permits for two proposed ski lifts and associated facilities in Mary Ellen Gulch to April 7, 2030, after hearing technical updates from the applicant and sustained public comment about water quality, access and visual impacts.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6124090,"Planning Commission recommends county allow limited off-site parking for recreation resorts such as Sundance",1751,7309000,9060000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2686379-515484daa5ac3d07bc4dcac44163b8cb&start=7309&end=9060","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2686379-515484daa5ac3d07bc4dcac44163b8cb/thumbnail_7309000.jpg","/articles/6124090/Utah/Planning-Commission-recommends-county-allow-limited-off-site-parking-for-recreation-resorts-such-as-Sundance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6124090-22e469375e4e824d6a9281f9b9f4e6ed/orig.mp4?Expires=1770991929&Signature=f64F5TNfXa0NKAbi5tQ~30nLzPyNbSNdv5LHfIqosO0zSkYHVgu25c-Nh4hetSTQIN81y2QgHvcKwTI0WeQ6G8rHhCs1dse-0zBWBWffFo0jv9L1Fy~0mbzVhtmj3VPHMvGgrGQ28IZI~djthWNq1nwG28EJXxPUQe4TU~StzSvW~f5sFW0StZGHGRDsBFSeOWpiPZTy30JJEsQmXlPgiClY1Ds2ZoU6f2jRTi4aEaJMnU-Hisv7EQqVFjJRvS2PIsumX67x030XdOFAh-iYWqEJKj~nyR-RDumQ8Afd21t9tBbBEek6fcU~SnOkBe8VVUjFqCpu3fLO~HW2tasPYQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Utah County Planning Commission voted to recommend that the County Commission amend Section 4.6 of the county land-use ordinance to allow recreation resorts to use off-site parking to meet part of their required vehicle parking, subject to conditions.

Sundance Mountain Resort told the commission it already uses off-site lots under annual contracts with Orem and Provo and provides park-and-ride or transit connections to the resort on peak days. \"We have contracts with both Orem City and Provo City,\" said Zarr Johnson, chief operating officer of Sundance Mountain Resort. He said the resort has added on-site capacity in recent years but still relies on off-site lots for a portion of peak-day demand.

The proposed ordinance amendment would allow up to 40% of a resort’s parking requirement to be met with off-site seasonal parking, require an engineered parking and circulation plan, limit seasonal recreational-use designations to no more than 150 days per year for any single seasonal use, require a method of transporting patrons from the off-site lot to the resort, and require the applicant to submit copies of off-site parking agreements to county staff (updated annually).

Why it matters: mountain resorts often face steep topographic, environmental and land-availability constraints that limit on-site parking. The proposed changes are intended to let resorts manage peak demand while requiring safety and service measures (shuttles, traffic plans) and formal agreements so that off-site parking is durable and enforceable.

Public hearing: the commission opened and closed a public hearing on the amendment; no public commenters addressed the item at the hearing.

Outcome and next steps: the commission voted to forward a positive recommendation to the Utah County Commission, with a clerical correction to the draft language noted by staff. If the County Commission approves the ordinance change, resorts using off-site parking will be required to show the transportation method and submit annual copies of off-site agreements as part of permit compliance.","The commission recommended that the county commission amend the land-use ordinance to allow recreation resorts to meet up to 40% of peak parking demand with approved off-site locations if transit or shuttle service and formal agreements are provided.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commission approves Quicksilver solar expansion and Mosaida Energy natural-gas plant with road, access and decommissioning conditions

Utah County planning panel approves five-year extension for Snowbird’s Mary Ellen Gulch lift permits

Planning Commission recommends county allow limited off-site parking for recreation resorts such as Sundance