County Council to weigh changes to Utah Olympic Park agreement

A photo of the entrance way to Utah Olympic Park. Photo: TownLift // Bailey Edelstein

Summit County, UT — The Summit County Council will decide whether to approve changes to the development agreement for Utah Olympic Park after the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission recommended approval following months of review.

The 2011 agreement was designed to evolve as the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation refined its plans. It governs what can be built on the property, including athlete and employee housing, a hotel, ski facilities, and maintenance buildings.

Legacy Foundation CEO Colin Hilton said the amendments update development standards to align with current operations and future needs without altering the park’s original vision.

Residents opposed the changes throughout the process, expressing concerns about continued construction in Snyderville Basin. Many worried that additional development, particularly workforce housing, would worsen traffic and harm wildlife.

County Attorney Lynda Viti told commissioners their review was limited to the application itself, not broader regional issues. The commission couldn’t consider closing Bear Hollow Drive, the park’s finances, or basin-wide traffic — those fall outside its authority.

Hilton addressed key concerns during commission discussions. He said revised language would prevent the Bear Hollow Drive back gate from becoming a public entrance while keeping it open for park operations, emergencies, limited construction, and residents. The road also serves as a wildfire evacuation route for Sun Peak.

Foundation staff presented renderings from Kimball Junction viewpoints showing that the proposed buildings wouldn’t significantly alter the skyline. Wildlife maps showed that two employee housing parcels overlap with protected habitat. Hilton said the foundation will work with state officials on required mitigation.

Two parcels near the Sun Peak ridgeline — 6-A and 6-B — were moved downslope after resident feedback. They remain designated for possible housing but lack finalized plans.

The master plan includes roughly 257,000 square feet of commercial space, mostly a 190,000-square-foot hotel on Parcel 3. Nearly 97,000 square feet is set aside for affordable housing and 75,000 square feet for attainable housing — below-market units that don’t meet the county’s affordable housing definition. Another 140,000 square feet would house operational facilities.

“We’ve reduced the amount of commercial and added affordable and attainable housing because it’s what we feel is the best use for what we’d like to develop there,” Hilton said.

A significant change would let certain projects use a low-impact permit without a public hearing, though the Planning Commission would still review them. County staff said this would streamline the process.

The County Council will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. Jan. 28 at the Summit County Courthouse in Coalville.