Utah’s richest man sues Park City

An artistic rendering of the cross valley view of the proposed home Matthew and Tatiana Prince seek to build on King Road in Park City. Photo: Park City Government

Park City homeowner, Matthew Prince, sues after Board of Adjustment decision blocking approval of the mansion he wants to build in Old Town

PARK CITY, Utah – Pesky Porcupine, Matthew Prince’s LLC and the owner of property at 220 King Road, has filed a lawsuit against Park City after the city’s Board of Adjustment overturned prior approvals for the construction of a new single-family home in Old Town’s historic district. Prince is the Co-founder and CEO of Cloudflare (NYSE: NET), the owner of the Park Record newspaper in Park City alongside his wife, Tatianna, and has been recognized by Forbes as the richest man in Utah.

A petition filed in 3rd District Court on Thursday says the Park City Board of Adjustment erred by upholding an appeal from Prince’s neighbors. That decision blocked the approval of the Cloudflare CEO’s proposed mansion project.

The property, located in a protected historic zone HR-1, required multiple approvals, including a plat amendment, conditional use permits, and Historic District Design Review. After the Park City Planning Commission initially approved the plans in February 2024, nearby residents, the Hermanns, appealed the decision, prompting months of back-and-forth. Final approval was granted in August 2024, but another appeal by the Hermanns led the Board of Adjustment to overturn the decision in November.

The Board cited three key reasons for its decision: the design did not respect the site’s topography and vegetation, the facade width was inconsistent with surrounding historic buildings, and the proposed retaining walls did not align with historic design standards.

In response, Pesky Porcupine argues the Board’s decision contradicts prior approvals, misinterprets historic district guidelines as strict requirements, and addresses issues already under court review. The lawsuit seeks to reverse the Board’s ruling and reinstate the Historic District Design Review approval.

Second look at building code halts controversial mansion project