New road to Red Pine Village could unlock more development at Park City Mountain

Existing and future gondolas to Red Pine Photo: Park City Municipal

An earlier agreement prohibited automobile access, but developers want to change that in advance of another phase of development that will include hotels in the mid-mountain area

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah – The Snyderville Basin Planning Commission on Tuesday will revisit a controversial amendment to the Canyons Specially Planned Area development agreement that could allow limited automobile access to Red Pine Village, Tombstone, and Red Pine Lake.

Developer TCFC PC Leaseco, LC is asking the county to revise a section of the agreement, which currently prohibits cars in those mid-mountain areas except for service and emergency vehicles. The company wants to add language clarifying that residents and guests could use a gate-controlled, non-public road to access check-in, concierge service and transportation between parking and accommodation, in advance of upcoming development in Red Pine Village, Tombstone, and Red Pine Lake areas of the Canyons near Park City Mountain Resort.

The request stems from safety concerns raised by the Park City Fire District, according to past meetings. In a 2023 letter, the district concluded that gondolas and shuttles cannot serve as adequate evacuation routes in the event of wildfire or another life-threatening emergency. Fire officials said personal automobiles are necessary to move people off the mountain quickly.

Summit County’s engineering and transportation staff have acknowledged the life-safety need but flagged questions about how much traffic the change could generate. A 2023 Hales Engineering traffic study found congestion problems at the High Mountain Road and Escala Court intersection, noting that only “scaled traffic mitigation measures” would improve conditions. County staff say those measures need to be more clearly defined before a decision is made.

Flyover animation (potential Red Pine Road alignment shown in grey to best represent asphalt)

The commission last discussed the proposal in July but ran short on time due to technical difficulties. Tuesday’s session is scheduled to include more detail, including updated visual impact studies showing potential alignments of a new High Mountain Road extension, grading and retaining wall plans, and a flyover animation illustrating how the road would cut across the landscape.

TCFC says restricting access to residents and guests—rather than opening the road to the public—balances traffic concerns with the need for safe evacuation. Resort service vehicles and emergency responders would still be allowed.

The amendment is not up for a vote yet. Tuesday’s meeting is a work session only, with no public comment. If commissioners decide to move forward, a public hearing will be scheduled before the county council makes the final decision.

Agenda Packet