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Park City neighborhood wants Rossie Hill land preserved

Park City officials on Thursday addressed the prospects of development in the Rossie Hill district, indicating they are interested in tightening the zoning restrictions in the neighborhood off Deer Valley Drive.

Mayor Jack Thomas and the Park City Council considered two planning or zoning issues that, although separate, dealt with the Rossie Hill district.

The City Council after one of the discussions requested staffers start the process of rezoning land in the vicinity of 622 Rossi Hill Drive, 652 Rossi Hill Drive and 660 Rossi Hill Drive. The new zoning – seen as a combination allowing development on some of the land and setting aside some as open space — would be more restrictive than the underlying rules now on the land.

The elected officials, meanwhile, delayed until at least Oct. 20 a decision on a subdivision proposed at 632 Deer Valley Loop, which is located close to the land on the 600 block of Rossi Hill Drive.

The land has historically been under the control of the federal Bureau of Land Management. The parcel at 632 Deer Valley Loop is now under private ownership while the rest of the land remains with the Bureau of Land Management.

There is concern in the neighborhood about the land eventually being developed. The mayor and City Council received testimony from people in the neighborhood and others over the course of the two issues. There was concern about development based on what was described as the uniqueness of the old houses there and an argument that the land is in a high-profile location. There was also a comment regarding the possibility of building affordable housing at the location.

During the discussion about a rezone of the land, Becca Gerber, a member of the City Council, mentioned the possibility of putting tiny homes there. Bruce Erickson, the planning director at City Hall, cautioned that the municipal government does not own the land.

A group called Save Rossie Hill Historic Open Space formed in reaction to the prospects of development. The group submitted nearly 300 signatures to City Hall.

The family that owns the land at 622 Rossi Hill Drive, 652 Rossi Hill Drive and 660 Rossi Hill Drive submitted a letter to City Hall in anticipation of the meeting asking that a rezoning effort be rejected. The letter, signed by Richard Dennis, says a rezoning “would presumably devalue” the property.

Park City


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