Developers present 29-unit condominium and 20-acre conservation easement after Alta site visit; commissioners press water, access and massing details

Developers for the Alphonse Marley parcel presented a proposal on Jan. 22, 2025 to the Alta Planning Commission that would place a residential condominium building on the lower portion of the site and place roughly 20 acres above the road into a conservation easement, project representatives said after a morning site visit.

The plan as described would concentrate development on about 4 acres below the road (a corner of roughly 1.5 acres for the building plus driveways through the remaining lower acreage) and preserve the upper 20 acres. Dave O'Hooley, representing the parcel owner, told commissioners the drone reconnaissance and on‑site walkthrough helped the project team confirm the building would generally sit below the surrounding treetops and to visualize three proposed tiered roof elevations (project presenters described mid‑tier and top‑tier elevations as roughly 8,860 and 8,875 feet, respectively). "We were trying to fly the corner post of the building…we had a drone fly to point A and drop down to the height we call the West wing and the South wing," O'Hooley said.

Why it matters: the proposal pairs a permanent land‑conservation promise with a concentrated residential project in a sensitive hillside and ski‑area adjacency. Commissioners repeatedly said the town needs clearer, audited information on water demand and supply, access alignments that do not degrade existing over‑snow parking or Summer Road, and more accurate massing/renderings that show trees and retaining elements before any approval process advances.

Body

Project scope and units: Project representatives said they are proposing a maximum of 29 residential condominium units with a…