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Letters: Closure of S.R. 224 shows opponents of widening S.R. 248 need to rethink their position


Rethink opposition

The widespread traffic congestion caused by the temporary closing of S.R. 224 on Thursday illustrated the vulnerability of the Park City community to unexpected problems that can have an impact on our transportation system. Because there are only two main routes in and out of Park City, the closing of either one can cause extraordinary transportation delays. I encountered a very long delay as I was driving to an appointment at the Park City Hospital at about 1 p.m. on Thursday afternoon. Traffic was backed up on U.S. 40 from Kearns Boulevard (S.R. 248) almost to Silver Summit Parkway. Fortunately, I didn’t need emergency care, but that kind of delay could have been a serious matter for someone needing urgent medical assistance.

This incident can be seen as a warning to the community and its leaders of the potential danger that could arise from an interruption of our transportation system. This might be caused by a fire, gas main leak or a jack-knifed truck and could lead to a loss of life if Park City residents are not able to efficiently leave the city or get to the hospital quickly.



Kearns Boulevard needs to be rebuilt in accordance with the Utah Department of Transportation’s recommendation. The temporary fix that is being discussed to convert the lanes so that there are two lanes incoming and one lane outgoing from the city won’t help Park City residents who need to quickly escape from the city or to get to the hospital in an emergency. If you live in the city and have a heart attack or are in labor and are about to give birth, you will need to get to the hospital quickly and a long delay is not acceptable. It is time to rethink the opposition to the UDOT plan. There really aren’t any good alternatives to it.

F. Joseph Feely III



Park City


A bright idea

There is a community program underway that is helping more Summit and Wasatch county residents go solar, SCPW Solar. With help from this program, solar panels will be going up on our home this month.

SCPW Solar provided us with a pre-selected solar installer, Creative Energies, and a community-wide, bulk-purchase discount. Most importantly, SCPW Solar made it easy for us to navigate the solar installation process, taking out much of the guesswork that prevents a lot of us from going solar.

There is no better time to go solar than now.

First, consider the changing compensation for rooftop solar. All of us Rocky Mountain Power customers spend an average of 10 cents per kilowatt-hour for our energy. If you have solar and send extra power to the electricity grid, you get a credit of about 9 cents per kilowatt-hour. This energy bill off-set is crucial in keeping energy bills low, but the credit could change in the coming year. Rocky Mountain Power is exploring new rates for solar customers, but anyone installing solar now before a new rate is set will be grandfathered into the current solar reimbursement rate until 2032.

Couple this with the tax credits currently available for rooftop solar, and there was no question in our minds that it was time to take the leap and install solar at our home.

We all have a role to play in turning the tide on climate change, and rooftop solar is a spectacular way to reduce your carbon footprint. If you’ve been interested in going solar but haven’t yet made the leap, we encourage you to look into SCPW Solar at scpwsolar.org.

Bryn Carey and Jackie Carey

Park City


Outpouring of love

My family and I would like to thank the Park City community for its outpouring of love, friendship and support upon the passing of my husband, Steve Hamilton.

We have enjoyed hearing your stories of the love and respect you had for him, and how much you enjoyed interacting with him, primarily at The Market pharmacy.

He will be greatly missed.

Jane Hamilton

Park City


Expand S.R. 248

Once again we saw the need to widen S.R. 248. There are only two ways into and out of town. Last week, there was a gas leak near the white barn so S.R. 224 was closed in both directions and all traffic had to be rerouted to S.R. 248. Last summer a gas leak shut down S.R. 248 and all traffic had to be diverted to S.R. 224. What if this were to happen Christmas week or during Sundance or any of the other many busy times in Park City? What if there was a natural emergency such as a wildfire or earthquake and people needed to evacuate Park City immediately? Public transportation is not the answer in an emergency — people will be in their cars to leave town. S.R. 248 must be two lanes in both directions! Not to handle future traffic but for safety reasons and to survive the current needs of the community.

Patricia Pond

Pinebrook


Still going strong

I was thrilled to see the article “Athenaeum Club’s legacy predates suffrage” featured in the Wednesday, Dec. 11, Way We Were section of The Park Record. The club is still going strong today in the Park City community. One can only assume the early club members back in 1897 did not consider the long-reaching effects this club would have on the lives of the Park City community for more than a century to come. More information about the club, their meetings and events can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/parkcityathenaeumclub/, the website gfwcparkcity.weebly.com or email at pcathenaeumclub@gmail.com.

Lynette McAferty

Park City Athenaeum Club


Venue for venting

After reading the “guest editorial” on Senate Republicans in Saturday’s Park Record, perhaps a new category for reader input is required. My suggestion would be “Venting Venue.” Most guest editorials shed some light on a local topic of interest, such as taxing, schools or area growth. Mr. White’s editorial, however, was a beautifully written rant that collected most all of the allegations, phrases, claims, adjectives and adverbs about the impeachment process that I’ve seen on TV or in print media. He seems to need a safe space or a therapy squirrel to deal with his severe case of TDS. A more descriptive heading on articles such as his would help some of us deplorable people sort out what is worth reading and what is worth tossing directly into the recycle bin.

Ken Miller

Park City


Countervailing public interest

For years the Park City senior community has been asking for a facility that would allow them to age gracefully here in their own town, near their friends and family, without the indignity of being shipped off to Salt Lake City to start a new life, at a crucial time when they need some continuity in their existing life. As Dakota Pacific asks for more density in its redevelopment of the former Park City Tech Center, the words “countervailing public interest” keep coming up as a reason to allow that increased density. I can’t think of a better “countervailing public interest” than to incorporate a senior living facility within their plans … it’s almost a no-brainer. Right next to transit with access to all the necessary shopping and services, close to their friends and family, a senior living facility at that location would be a huge public interest boost for our community. In fact, I struggle to think of a better location for this facility. Details can be worked out regarding the level of services provided, ranging from independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, or continuous care community. It doesn’t have to be all of these, but the location is too perfect to ignore the possibility of some sort of senior living within. I urge the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission to seriously look into this as they go through the process of defining what “countervailing public interest” they will consider to allow the additional density requested. Surely our seniors, who have done so much for our community over many years, deserve to be considered in this process.

Ed Parigian

Old Town

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