Park City issues stop-work order on North 40 athletic structure after neighbors raise concerns

The area of the North 40 playing fields where the Park City School District was constructing a shot put facility without the proper permission and work was stopped by the city. Photo: TownLift

PARK CITY, Utah — Park City’s Building Department has issued a stop-work order for construction of a shot put and discus structure at the North 40 Fields, after residents raised concerns about whether the Park City School District had approval to build the facility there.

A stop-work notice posted at the North 40 and dated Aug. 13 states that work on the structure is outside the approved conditional use permit, or CUP. The notice instructs that the work must stop and says the conditional use permit must be amended or the structure removed before construction can proceed.

The city has not issued an official determination on the project, but said there was enough visual evidence of work at the site to warrant stopping construction.

Clayton Scrivner, Park City’s Communications Director said, the city reviewed the activity following a resident’s complaint.

“The City and School District are working together to determine an appropriate path forward. The order applies only to the North 40 field area, and approved work elsewhere on the site may continue,” Scrivner said.

Park City School District’s Public Information Officer Colton Elliott said the District is “actively coordinating” with Park City Municipal, the Division of Environmental Response and Remediation (DERR), and the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to ensure full compliance.

The district said it was “confirming” whether an update to the permit was required. The stop work order states the permit must be updated or the structure removed.

During public comment at the Park City Planning Commission’s Aug. 12 meeting, Julie Caldwell said neighbors had only learned about the planned structure the previous day after footings were poured.

“I am here with neighbors tonight to go on record expressing our concern over the Park City School District’s athletic expansion, which now includes a shot put and discus structure on the south end of the North 40 Fields,” Caldwell said.

The structure did not appear on the athletic facilities plans posted on the School District’s website and Caldwell questioned whether the district could construct a permanent facility on the North 40 without additional approval.

She pointed to the joint-use agreement governing the fields, saying it specifically addresses permanent or substantial physical changes and requires written approval.

“A shot put discus facility would seem to fall within this category,” Caldwell said.

She also questioned whether the structure was included in the CUP approved for the district’s athletic facilities project or whether it had been added later as a modification.

Caldwell cited the Planning Commission’s 2025 record, which she said described the North 40 as an area that “will not and has not been disturbed” as part of the athletic facilities project.

According to Caldwell, subsequent changes involving the Dozier Field facility created pressure to relocate the shot put and discus structure to the North 40. She said it was unclear to neighbors whether that relocation had received the necessary approvals.

“We would request a halt on further construction of this structure before these basic questions are answered,” Caldwell told the commission.

The notice states that the conditional use permit must be amended or the structure removed before work can continue, indicating that additional city approval may allow the project to proceed.

The development comes as the School District continues work on an expansion of athletic facilities at the former Treasure Mountain Junior High School site and Dozier Field. The project has been plagued with missteps including the unpermitted discharge of contaminated water into a nearby stream, the storage of toxic soil and a state-issued non-compliance notice for their handling of asbestos during the Treasure Mountain school demolition.

The North 40 Fields are subject to a joint-use agreement between the district and Park City governing use and improvements to the property.