Pinebrook implementing paid parking permits

Under the new rule, permits would be required to park at Pinebrook Park. Photo: TownLift

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — Pinebrook, the neighborhood in unincorporated Summit County a few miles northwest of Park City, is planning on implementing a $40 parking permit system for members that want to park at trailheads and parks in the neighborhood.

The Pinebrook Masters Association (PMA), which serves as the umbrella association for the 13 homeowners associations in the neighborhood, held a meeting to discuss the plan on Thursday night.

The PMA owns roughly 600 acres of open space in which 21 miles of private trails are maintained. They also control Pinebrook Park, which is exclusively for members and their guests.

Concerns have grown since early 2020, about non-members not only using the amenities but parking at the three small trailhead lots (roughly 15 parking spots). PMA members attribute this to the COVID effect: people choosing outdoor recreation, and the growth of trail mapping apps like AllTrails.

At the meeting, the PMA said that after over 100 hours of research, they estimate roughly 75% of trail users are non-PMA members.

“It is very difficult to restrict non-PMA members from trespassing on our private trails and open space, so we have concluded that the most effective way to is to restrict parking in our subdivision,” said a PMA report.

“We decided that the most appropriate way to issue a permit was to have those who use the parking areas to pay a one-time modest fee of $40 per vehicle.”

The PMA has been contemplating the idea for nearly a decade. They are currently phasing in the rule as a “pilot project,” and will be weighing suggestions for improving the program.

According to PMA Board member Stephan Herrera, the PMA sent out a newsletter several months ago to PMA members outlining the parking problem and the plan for phasing in multiple solutions. “We did try to inform people that this was coming and why,” Herrara told TownLift.