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