Red Pine Village development faces wildfire evacuation dilemma as planners recommend denying vehicle access

Red Pine Village, Tombstone, and Red Pine Lake areas of the Canyons near Park City Mountain Resort Photo: Google Earth

Fire officials say cars are necessary to evacuate the mid-mountain development in a wildfire, but commissioners worry a road would unravel the Canyons' car-free transportation vision

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — The Snyderville Basin Planning Commission unanimously recommended Tuesday that Summit County deny a proposed amendment allowing residents and guests to drive to future development in the mid-mountain Red Pine Village area at Canyons Village.

The proposal would amend Section 3.15 of the Canyons Amended and Restated Development Agreement, which generally prohibits automobile access to Red Pine Village, Tombstone and Red Pine Lake except for service and emergency vehicles.

The applicant sought to add language allowing Red Pine Village residents and guests to use a controlled, nonpublic road. After more than a year of review, commissioners voted to send the amendment to the Summit County Council with a negative recommendation. The council will make the final decision after its own public hearing.

Commissioners said the change could undermine the original transportation vision for the mountain development, which was designed to rely primarily on gondolas, shuttles and other alternatives to private vehicles.

Planning Commission Chair Matthew Nagie said a road limited to emergency and service vehicles would have different impacts than one also used by residents and guests.

“A road that is used for service only is a land use,” Nagie said. “A road that is used for service and for residents and for guests is a different land use.”

TownLift reported in September 2025 that developer TCFC PC Leaseco sought the amendment before another phase of mid-mountain development. The request followed concerns raised by the Park City Fire District that gondolas and shuttles alone would not provide adequate emergency evacuation.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the applicant argued that the road would be built regardless to serve emergency responders, service vehicles and future construction. Representatives said it would meet county and fire district standards and that allowing some personal vehicles would help evacuate residents and guests during a wildfire or other emergency.

Gondolas would remain the primary access to Red Pine Village, the applicant said. Parking would be limited to about 0.8 spaces per unit. Representatives estimated the future development could include roughly 350 to 550 units, depending on unit size, within approximately 930,000 square feet.

Commissioners questioned whether allowing private vehicles was the only way to address evacuation and said the council should consider density, traffic, environmental impacts and emergency planning together.

Several commissioners also said the agreement’s intent was clear despite language stating that automobile access would be prohibited “in general.” The applicant argued that phrase, along with provisions for gated access and a rural service road, left room for interpretation.

The proposal is not tied to imminent construction. The applicant said development in Red Pine Village cannot begin until the Canyons resort core reaches 80% buildout and that the core is currently about 54% complete.

That estimate is consistent with TownLift’s March reporting that the resort core was about 53% built out, with the broader Canyons development area roughly 40% to 45% complete.

Commissioners said a negative recommendation would allow the County Council to consider the broader transportation vision rather than endorse the narrow amendment before detailed development plans are available.

After the vote, the applicant thanked the commission and county staff but said portions of the findings supporting denial were incomplete or unsupported.