Appeal win by neighbors causes additional delays for Prince’s mansion project

Appellant Eric & Susan Herman provided architectural renderings of the proposed Prince mansion overlaid with the Marsac Building to demonstrate building size and mass. Photo: Eric & Susan Herman

PARK CITY, Utah — The Park City Board of Adjustment ruled in favor of Eric and Susan Hermann’s appeal of Mathew Prince’s historic district design approval for his mansion on King Road. The board was tasked with evaluating whether the appeal demonstrated that the planning director had incorrectly applied Land Management Code (LMC) standards within the context of a Historic District Design Review (HDDR) for the HDR-1 MPD zoning requirements within specific sections of the LMC included in the appeal’s motion.

After the 3-2 vote Tuesday night, board members expressed difficulty pinpointing specific errors in the HDDR approval, though key concerns involved building size, mass scale, and the prevailing pattern within the streetscape. Staff and board members now have 15 days to formalize these findings of error in a final action letter.

After the final action letter is delivered to Prince’s Pesky Porcupine, LLC, Prince and his legal team will have 30 days to appeal the city’s decision to the Third District Court.  Until that court process is resolved, the project at 220 King Road is at a standstill. Construction will only be permitted to restart if the court rules in favor of Pesky Porcupine, LLC.

Prince could radically redesign the house to satisfy the Board Of Adjustment’s concerns, but so far the only changes Prince has been willing to make have been small cosmetic tweaks and even then, Prince was set to appeal the Planning Commisssion’s conditions of approval that came prior. Prince’s attorneys withdrew their appeal in regards to the roof overhang and window glazing that was set to be heard by the BOA on Tuesday night after the vote upholding the Hermann’s appeal.

Stephanie Wilson, a board member, explained her support for the appeal, stating, “I keep getting stuck where it says the width of a new building shall not appear to be visibly greater than historic buildings in the streetscape or character area. It’s the massing, how large it is looming over Old Town.”

However, fellow board member Beth Armstrong advocated for the original approval, noting, “I do believe that reasonable decision-making and that director Ward is supported by substantial evidence in making her decision. Therefore, I support denying the appeal.”

Armstrong noted that this project is an important one for the City to get right as it would set precedent for the future. This, despite Planning Director Ward’s previous statements at public meetings saying it would not.

Eric Hermann, who has been battling the Prince project on principal, was pleased with the board’s decision.

“Up to now, a different set of rules has governed approval of a billionaire’s massive castle in Old Town,” Hermann said in a statement to TownLift. “Finally, the Board of Adjustment has applied to this project the same rules that the rest of us are required to live by. This is a win for all Park City citizens and for the historic integrity of Old Town.”

The contentious project has consumed hundreds, if not thousands, of hours in city staff time and resources, alongside high power attorney fees from both sides. Prince has already demolished the two existing homes on the lot, but with the appeal granted, the project is again at a standstill. Further proceedings are likely to head to 3rd District Court, where the legal costs and use of publicly funded resources are expected to continue escalating.