DABS proposal for Quinn’s Junction liquor store raises location concerns

Local officials express serious safety concerns about the proposed Quinn's Junction liquor store, with one councilmember warning the already hazardous intersection would become 'certainly deadly' with increased traffic

PARK CITY, Utah — A state proposal to build a new liquor store at Quinn’s Junction caught local officials off guard during a joint Summit County and Park City Council meeting on Friday.

“I like stories that have beginning, a middle and an end. This one simply has a middle, and you will realize that fairly quickly,” said Summit County Development Director Peter Barnes as he began discussing the unexpected proposal.

The Utah Department of Alcohol Beverage Services (DABS) approached local authorities with plans to build a retail liquor store on UDOT surplus land near the intersection of Highway 40 and SR-248.

“We were actually relocating the entrance road through there. It had been a possible site for a park and ride location at one point, and it seemed rather strange to us,” Barnes said, explaining officials’ initial reaction to the location choice.

The proposed site straddles both Park City and Summit County jurisdictions. “There’s a faint black line that you’ll see runs through the center of that cloud. That’s actually the dividing line between Park City, municipal corporation, and Summit County. So the land actually straddled two jurisdictions,” Barnes explained.

Barnes said Jennifer Adams of the Utah State Department of Government Operations told him the location was selected largely because the land would be free.

“This parcel was UDOT surplus land and being given to them, as opposed to the other locations where they looked at where property owners were actually requesting that they were paid for their land,” Barnes said, relaying Adams’ explanation.

Officials expressed concern about adding a destination retail location to an already busy intersection.

“This intersection is nearly deadly already, and you put a liquor store there, it’s going to be certainly deadly,” said Summit County Councilmember Bill Ciraco.

Ciraco suggested alternative locations closer to growing residential areas like Silver Creek Village and Promontory, which together will have nearly 2,800 units at full build-out.

This proposal conflicts with existing plans, as Park City Economic Development Director Chris Eggleton confirmed the city already has “a 40-year license in the form of a maintenance and construction agreement to build the park and ride use on that site.”

Local authorities have limited control over the decision. Barnes explained that state code restricts local government authority over state land use, and the state only needs to provide construction drawings to local authorities “the day before they put a shovel in the ground.”

No timeline for the project was discussed during the meeting. The next joint meeting between the councils is tentatively scheduled for June 27.