Tree removal at Dozier Field draws community concern as school district cites safety, construction needs

Dozier field. Photo: Michele Roepke // TownLift

PARK CITY, Utah — The Park City School District has removed dozens of mature trees at Dozier Field as part of an ongoing construction project at the Park City High School, prompting concern from community members who say the scale of the removal was not clearly disclosed and alters a long-valued neighborhood space.

In a message sent to the community on Dec. 19, the district said the tree removal was a necessary component of the project, citing tree health issues, safety considerations and site grading requirements tied to new construction.

District officials said many of the existing trees were in poor condition and posed long-term maintenance challenges. They also said dense vegetation created security blind spots that needed to be addressed to ensure safety during school events and athletic games.

“To accommodate the new structures, the site requires regrading,” the district said in its statement. “Unfortunately, these changes to the existing ground elevations made it infeasible to preserve the existing root system.”

The district added that it plans to install new, sustainable landscaping once construction is complete.

Some residents, however, said the removal went far beyond what they expected. Todd Coleman, a Park City resident, said the district is removing nearly all of the trees at Dozier Field, including mature trees he estimates are more than 50 years old.

“These are trees that are nowhere near the construction that is happening,” Coleman said in an email shared with TownLift. “This was never disclosed to the community, and the community has made it clear many times that they would like as many of these trees to be saved as possible.”

Coleman said the trees provided a buffer for nearby neighborhoods, reducing noise and light pollution, and were a defining feature of the field. He raised the issue during a recent school board meeting, but said additional trees were removed in the days that followed.

The removal comes amid a Utah Department of Environmental Quality investigation after 500,000 gallons of lead and arsenic contaminated water were discharged into a creek east of the Treasure Mountain Junior High School site and heightened scrutiny of district construction projects, with residents increasingly asking for clearer communication and advance notice when changes affect shared community spaces.

District officials did not specify how many trees were removed or whether alternatives to full removal were evaluated. The district reiterated that replanting will occur after construction concludes.