Canyon's Tree Lighting and Fireworks November 28, 2025 Photo: TownLift//Randi Sidman-Moore

PARK CITY, Utah — If 2025 proved anything, it is that Park City remains a town where power, policy, and place collide in very public ways.

From ski resort labor unrest and corporate enforcement policies to submerged history, development battles, and hard questions about public institutions, TownLift’s most-read and most-shared stories this year reflected a community grappling with growth, governance, and consequences.

Here are the stories that shaped Park City, Utah in 2025.

Corporate rules, local consequences

Hot-listed and helpless: Epic’s zero-tolerance pass policy leaves skiers stranded

Epic Pass holders learned this year that enforcement can be swift, opaque, and unforgiving. TownLift’s reporting revealed how Vail Resorts’ “hot list” system flagged skiers for alleged pass misuse, often without warning or a clear appeals process. For locals and visitors alike, the story exposed the imbalance of power between global resort operators and individual skiers, and it struck a nerve across ski towns nationwide.

Development, influence, and political pressure

Dakota Pacific executives behind anonymous group urging residents to reject referendum

TownLift uncovered the people behind an anonymous campaign urging residents to withdraw support for a referendum tied to the Dakota Pacific development. The reporting raised serious questions about transparency, political influence, and the tactics used to shape public opinion in high-stakes land-use battles.

Dakota Pacific executives behind anonymous group urging residents to reject referendum

Summit County lobbyist accused of double-dealing on Dakota Pacific development

That scrutiny deepened with revelations that a county lobbyist was allegedly working both sides of the Dakota Pacific issue. The story reinforced a recurring theme of 2025: development fights are rarely just about buildings. They are about trust, disclosure, and who residents believe is actually representing their interests.

Summit County lobbyist accused of double-dealing on Dakota Pacific development

Summit County Clerk officially rejects Dakota Pacific referendum after tossing out nearly half the signatures

The referendum fight reached a turning point when the Summit County Clerk rejected the petition after invalidating nearly half of submitted signatures. The decision effectively halted a citizen-led challenge and underscored how procedural rules can determine the fate of grassroots efforts, regardless of public sentiment.

Summit County Clerk officially rejects Dakota Pacific referendum after tossing out nearly half the signatures

Power, accountability, and public institutions

Park City School District narrative on Superfund site water discharge undercut by permits, emails, and city records

One of the most consequential stories of the year examined contradictions between the Park City School District’s public statements and documented evidence related to groundwater discharge near a Superfund site. Permits, internal emails, and city records told a more complicated story, raising questions about oversight, compliance, and transparency from an institution entrusted with public education.

Park City School District narrative on Superfund site water discharge undercut by permits, emails, and city records

Crime, warning signs, and systems that failed

Local Army veteran’s dangerous I-80 standoff was foretold — and ignored

This deeply reported piece traced the warning signs leading up to a dangerous interstate standoff involving a local Army veteran. The story examined missed opportunities for intervention and the gaps between agencies tasked with responding to escalating risk, prompting difficult conversations about mental health, public safety, and institutional responsibility.

Local Army veteran’s dangerous I-80 standoff was foretold — and ignored

Unsealed court documents paint detailed picture of Greg DeBoer in the fatal shooting of Patrick Hayes

When court documents were unsealed in a high-profile fatal shooting case, TownLift broke down what they revealed and why it mattered. The reporting provided critical context ahead of arraignment proceedings and reinforced the role of court transparency in helping the public understand how justice unfolds.

Unsealed court documents paint detailed picture of Greg DeBoer in the fatal shooting of Patrick Hayes

Place, history, and identity

Keetley, Utah: The sunken town below Deer Valley’s historic ski resort expansion

As Deer Valley pushed forward with historic expansion plans, TownLift revisited the forgotten town of Keetley, now submerged beneath the Jordanelle Reservoir. The story connected past and present, reminding readers that today’s growth often rests on landscapes layered with erased communities and unresolved histories.

Keetley, Utah: The sunken town below Deer Valley’s historic ski resort expansion

Park City’s paradox: Living with Utah’s best- and worst-rated ski resorts

Park City’s national reputation as a ski destination collided with on-the-ground reality in this analysis of resort rankings, guest experience, and local frustration. The piece captured a defining tension of 2025: world-class branding alongside increasingly strained infrastructure and expectations.

Park City’s paradox: Living with Utah’s best- and worst-rated ski resorts

Park City’s ambitious plan to transform Main Street

Looking forward, TownLift examined the city’s plan to reimagine Main Street. Supporters see opportunity. Critics see risk. The story framed the debate as more than a redesign, positioning it as a referendum on how Park City balances preservation, commerce, and livability.