Seasonal attraction operator asks Zion to resolve lost parking access before 2025 opening

Zion — Peter Copelandas, owner of GPT Enterprise and the Edge of Escape Room family complex at 620 Ninth Street, urged the council during public comment to prioritize a parking solution after city reassignment of a lot that the business had used for more than a decade.

Copelandas said his business acquired the underutilized property in 2014 and that ample customer parking was a “key condition of our success.” He told the council that from 2014 through February 2024 his operation had been allowed to use a city lot and that his company maintained and invested in the lot during that time. He said city staff reassigned the lot to a city department without notice more than a year ago and that, despite meetings with city officials and emails over the prior three months, he remained without a formal parking arrangement and was “now less than 60 days from opening up our 2025 season.”

Copelandas requested two clarifications: how the city will provide the promised parking support for the 2025 season, and the status of a previously promised rezoning of an adjacent city‑owned property that he said is critical for securing parking for 2026 and beyond. He said he raised the matter with the mayor and the city administrator and asked the council to prioritize resolving the issue within the next few meetings.

Mayor and staff replied that the city administrator has been on medical leave and that responsibilities had been temporarily reassigned; the mayor said staff would address the matter and thanked Copelandas for bringing it to the council’s attention. No formal council action or vote on the parking matter was recorded in the meeting minutes.