Planning commission continues Blue Sky Ranch rezone after residents raise water, traffic and light concerns

The Eastern Summit County Planning Commission on Nov. 21 kept the Blue Sky Ranch rezone and associated master plan development under review after an extended public hearing in which neighbors raised concerns about traffic, groundwater, wastewater and the development’s character.

The applicant is seeking to rezone roughly 554 acres from AG 40 to AG 10 to allow a master plan development and conditional use permit that staff says would result in a 76‑lot subdivision under the requested AG 10 bonus density. Staff said the overall project area is about 639.47 acres but that the rezone would apply to the parcels the applicant identified as needed to reach the proposed lot count.

Neighbors told the commission the staff report arrived less than a week before the hearing and asked for more time to digest technical materials. Brian Zwolan, executive director of Big Canyon Ranch, said the farms proposal "is a huge departure" from the resort’s prior, less‑visible development and questioned whether rezoning primarily to increase density is consistent with the general plan. "We've gone from 13 lots to 76," Zwolan said, adding that the change alters the character and visibility of the property.

Residents pressed four technical points repeatedly: whether groundwater and aquifers can support the additional demand; the adequacy and independence of the traffic study; potential nuisance or environmental impacts from the proposed wastewater treatment plant; and night‑sky and lighting impacts.

The applicant’s team responded on several fronts. Owner and presenter Mike Phillips said the project team completed well drilling and testing and "leased that water" from Weber Basin, and that the staff report demonstrates adequate water quantity and quality for the proposal. Phillips also said the development includes a wastewater treatment facility sized to the needs of the project and that the applicant is willing to provide detailed, written responses to questions about discharge, solids handling and monitoring.

On short‑term rental concerns, the applicant said participation in the Blue Sky rental pool would be optional, not mandatory. Phillips said their projection is that about 24 of the 46 half‑acre homes could be placed in the rental program; none of the 5‑acre estate lots would be required into the pool.

Traffic and road safety on Old Lincoln Highway were frequent topics. Several residents described close calls, blind intersections and frequent speeding by employee shuttles and guests. Commissioners and the applicant discussed possible physical mitigations, including a roundabout at a key intersection; Phillips said the applicant has offered to fund improvements but has been unable to secure design/approval from UDOT and the county to date.

After hearing more than a dozen public comments and applicant replies, the commission voted unanimously to continue the public hearing and asked the applicant to provide written responses to the public comments and to the commission’s questions in advance of the next noticed public hearing so those materials can be incorporated into the staff report.

The commission did not vote on the rezone or the MPD; the matter will be re‑noticed for a future meeting once staff posts the applicant’s written responses and any revised technical analyses.