Take a ride up the town chairlift at Park City Resort. Look at the snow-covered pines lining both sides of the lift towers. Take a deep breath of crisp air. Listen hard, and hear absolutely nothing. Now relax, knowing the solitude won’t be disappearing any time soon.

In November, voters in Park City overwhelmingly supported the acquisition of Treasure Hill with more than 77% of ballots cast to approve the $48 million general obligation bond to purchase and preserve the land. The election results brought closure to the dramatic 30-year saga surrounding the fate of Treasure Hill.

The Treasure Partnership—which consists of the Sweeney family and a firm called Park City II, LLC—owned Treasure Hill and controlled the area’s development rights.  Proposed plans for the area included more than one million square feet of mixed-use space for a high-rise hotel, condos and retail space on the heavily-forested slopes rising above Old Town. Residents contentiously debated the fate of Treasure Hill for years, with tensions rising in the months preceding the election. On one side advocates sought to protect the last vestiges of open space in Park City, while others opposed yet another property tax that would stick the burden of land preservation on average homeowners. The Treasure Partnership will  receive a total of $64 million for the property from Park City.

Ultimately, the staggering vote totals made a resoundingly clear statement: Parkites have had enough of unfettered development snatching up land in Park City, and most were willing to foot their portion of the bill. The property tax increase approved through the vote is estimated to be $194 per year on  $800,000 homes classified as  primary residences and $353 annually on equivalently-valued vacation homes or commercial properties. It’s the second straight election in which Park City’s voters have supported the preservation of open space with their own pocketbooks, following approval of $25 million bond to purchase Bonanza Flats in 2016.

Most of the community view the referendum as a win for all parties. The Sweeney family received an adequate return on their substantial investment and the vast majority of Parkites were willing to accept a reasonable property tax-increase to preserve the character of Old Town. The push-and-pull of progress and expansion will always be at the forefront of debate in Park City, but the Treasure Hill vote saves a jewel in the center of town. Future generations have present-day voters to thank for the views.

Subscribers can see more. Sign up and you’ll be included in our membership program and get access to exclusive deals, premium content and more. Get the magazine, get the deals, get the best of life in Utah! 

Trouble’s a brewin’ on Main Street, and it all resolves around those pesky ridesharing services. Let’s agree to overlook the irony of Uber, Lyft and the like contributing to rather than alleviating congestion while gutting public transportation and turn to the Park City police blotter, where you’ll find an increasing number of complaints to the police department about ridesharing services and taxis clogging up Main Street. With Sundance in full swing, the corresponding surge in private ridesharing vehicles carrying visitors to town has Parkites staring down the barrel of gridlock Armageddon.

I don’t mean to be too flippant about traffic-related frustration as well documented cases show it can drive people to madness—see the completely bananas story about a 21-year-old who tried to take the gun from a police officer’s belt after being turned around because Brighton’s parking lot was full. Nevertheless, the level of frustration from residents and business owners and the volume of complaints rolling in to the police department hint at a skewed prioritization of grievances. Most people with even a modicum of emotional balance can only listen to a rant regarding a 10-car Lyft-induced backup in front of No Name Saloon with a straight face for so long.

The convenience of ridesharing services has vehicles swarming Old Town in increasing numbers.

Recent reported cases include an Uber driver impeding an intersection on Swede Alley, a shuttle vehicle unloading passengers without pulling to the side of the road, a vehicle blocking Marsac Avenue, a hit-and-run accident on Main Street and an argument between a security guard and taxi driver among other incidents. Simmering tensions, while occasionally understandable and perhaps inevitable, are an ugly manifestation of the more insular aspects of Park City. The community would be wise to get a grip on such trivialities before more people turn to swiping weapons from law enforcement.

What’s to be done? Historic Old Town isn’t going to sprout new roads, and events like Sundance bring a greater influx of crowds to town with each passing season. The city is more than aware of the grumbling and have responded with new bus lines and park and ride locations—including the new 450-space lot on Kilby Road—which are criminally underutilized by both residents and visitors.

There’s not much air at 7,000 feet, so take a deep breath. The majority of motorists gnashing their teeth behind plodding Uber and Lyft drivers who are just trying to earn some of that Sundance money aren’t taking advantage of what’s already there. Do yourself a favor and keep your blood pressure in check by hopping on a bus during the Film Festival in 2019.

See all of our Sundance coverage here.

They said 2018 would be the year of the woman, and while history will decide if that’s true, Utah is starting 2019 out with two speakers who had tremendous roles in the #metoo movement. Jodi Kantor, who writes for the New York Times, and Ronan Farrow, of The New Yorker, are both speaking in the state, conveniently—or perhaps intentionally—just before the Sundance Film Festival.

In October of 2017, Kantor and Megan Twohy broke the news that Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein had been accused of sexual abuse for years. The story was a bombshell and even had a Utah connection—some of the accusations against Weinstein had occurred during Sundance.

At the same time Kantor and Twohy were working on their story, Ronan Farrow had heard the same accusations against Weinstein. But, according to the head of NBC News, his then-employer, his report was not ready for broadcast, claiming a lack of on-the-record sources. Just a few short days after the Times ran its story, Farrow went to press with his own version of the Weinstein events.

Since then, the writers have shared the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service and, between the two of them, have revealed sexual misconduct by powerful men all over the country—the shockwaves reached far beyond the entertainment world. Women all over the world shared their stories with the social media hashtag #MeToo and men were asked to listen, perhaps, proponents hope, altering conduct in the workplace permanently.

Ronan Farrow: Weber State University’s Val A. Browning Center, Austad Auditorium, January 19, 2019 weber.edu, 801-626-8500

Jodi Kantor: Park City’s George S. & Dolores Dore Eccles Center Theater, January 18, parkcityinstitute.com, 435-655-3114

March on Main

Protests are not generally star-studded events. But, for the last two years, the Women’s March on Park City, timed annually to coincide with the anniversary of the Inauguration of President Trump, is also held as the stars take over Park City for Sundance.

In the case of Park City’s march, you’re as likely to see a random Parkite wearing a bright pink hat as you are to see actor Nick Offerman or rapper Common braving the cold and snow to be heard (and seen, this is Hollywood, after all). And as the snow settles, the speakers are more A-list than most cities—Jane Fonda and Gloria Allred spoke at last year’s Park City event, which called itself a #respectrally.

This year, the masses will surely take to the streets again, but as of press time, no details are available. You can find out more about dates and times as they are planned and approved by the city at womensmarch.com/2019.

See more stories like this and all of our City Watch coverage. And while you’re here, why not subscribe and get six annual issues of Salt Lake magazine’s curated guide to the best of life in Utah?

If you haven’t noticed, the city is going through a humanitarian crisis.

The Rio Grande-Pioneer Park neighborhood, which should be a jewel of urban living, is beset by severe public-safety and -health problems caused by an exploding homeless population and the jackals who prey upon them.

It’s important to note who the real victims are. It’s not the developers who are drooling over the potential of park-side real estate and it’s certainly not the mayor or the city council who have mired construction of effective new shelters in petty politics.

The victims are the homeless, the addicts, the mentally ill and, by extension, the neighborhood business owners, workers and residents of west downtown SLC who find themselves dealing with the mess. They desperately need relief and they need it soon.

The bad news: Mayor Jackie and the city council with its cast of future mayor candidates have allowed sordid politics to delay placement of the needed shelters and possibly future state funding increases for homeless services.

But there is some good news.

The county, including SLCo Mayor Ben McAdams, gets it.

The city’s Homeless Services Site Evaluation Commission, led by former Mayor Palmer DePaulis and philantrophist Gayle Miller, gets it.

And, most importantly, SLC’s new Police Chief Mike Brown gets it.

Brown told the council at a work session this week that social workers are the answer to the homeless problem. “We can’t arrest our way out of this,” he said. He has shifted cops into the Rio Grande area, but he has teamed them with social workers who are working directly with the police to get addiction, housing and job services to the homeless.

In the long term, the chief explained, things like bus passes to jobs, addiction treatment and affordable housing is more important than busting street-level drug dealers.

The only wrong note in the chief’s presentation to the city council was that David Litvack, Jackie’s Deputy Chief Of Staff, insisted on sitting next to the chief when Brown answered the council’s questions. It was reminiscent of a mob wise guys hip-to-hip with their lawyers as they testify before a congressional organized-crime commission. I half expected Litvack to whisper to Brown to take the Fifth.

Why is Jackie so freaked out about the chief of police answering questions?

The Salt Lake City Council Tuesday got its closest look yet at the depth, breath and intractability of the homeless problem that has become a “health-and-safety emergency” in the Pioneer Park area of downtown.

Salt Lake County Health Department Director Gary Edwards, Salt Lake Police Chief Mike Brown and administrators from the Road Home shelter, briefed the council at a work session on the problem that has exploded this summer.

What’s painfully obvious is the selection of new shelter locations (the county had recommended two centers, the city, four smaller ones) that officials alleged would be set by November (the deadline has always been an ever-moving target) won’t be because of a lengthy public process and the ever-souring politics between the mayor and city council.

If nothing else, former Mayor Palmer DePaulis, who is a co-chair of the city’s Homeless Services Site Evaluation Commission, sagely tutored the council and, by extension, Mayor Jackie Biscupski’s staff on how to move forward. DePaulis should know—the homeless shelters in the Rio Grande district were established in the late 1980s during his regime and long before the troubled Rio Grande neighborhood became valuable real estate.

In his low-key way, DePaulis explained to the council how to enlist public acceptance of the sites for the new homeless shelters that have already triggered the predictable NIMBYism.

The key, DePaulis says, is to do a “good process” that’s open, transparent and involves as many citizens as possible to ensure they will “own” the eventual decision. He passed on a bit of political advice he had been given by former Gov. Scott Matheson. “The secret to all this is to ‘Stay lucky,’ ” DePaulis said. “When you are open and you are transparent—you are creating your own luck and you are going to stay lucky and stay on top of it.”

The city has launched a sweep to meet the immediate drug-dealing problems in the Rio Grande district. The campaign emphasizes diverting homeless addicts into treatment programs rather than jail.

An indication of the petty politics the council is capable of emerged at the meeting when Council Member Lisa Adams complained that because of the crisis at Pioneer Park, her Sugar House businesses have been complaining that they aren’t see enough bike cops. The chief promised that Adams would see cops on bicycles “tomorrow, if not sooner.”

So much for the big picture.

As for successfully dealing with homelessness in a sustainable, long-term way, DePaulis offered the council a not-exactly-earth-shattering approach:

— Prevention—get people help before they slide into homelessness.

— Provide affordable housing with support.

— Provide effective job placement, mental-health and addiction treatment programs to the homeless, “and allow people to have dignity.”

Considering the understanding, savvy and humanity DePaulis has brought to the homeless crisis—the best solution for Salt Lake might be to proclaim DePaulis mayor again by public acclamation. Or wish Jackie a lot of luck.

Local spiritual healing destination, Golden Braid Books will be hosting a discussion by an inspirational speaker and intuitive, on Thursday, October 13. The event begins at 7 p.m., with LaVonne Wells-Sandberg sharing personal stories and experiences about the death of her daughter and the continual contact she continues to have with her soul. The event is free and open to the public, but early arrival is recommended.

“LaVonne frames bereavement as a celebration, and this date would have been Kiva’s 17^th birthday, so this is a celebration, a birthday party of sorts,” said Pamela Brown, manager of Golden Braid Books. “She maintains contact and shares a special spiritual relationship with those who have passed.”

LaVonne Wells-Sandberg provides grief support to parents by sharing her own life experiences of trauma and loss. Known as the “Truth Oracle,” Wells-Sandberg is a transformative speaker and teacher, focusing in all things spiritual. She has several workshops including Angels Among Us 101, Spiritual Etiquette, Loving Big and Angels & Insights. Through these workshops, she is able to guide people through grief in a healthy and expressive manner and begin healing.

Golden Braid Books is a local bookstore that offers an assortment of spiritual, educational and physical products for family, friends and self. Self-identified as “a true sanctuary in the city,” Golden Braid Books offers books, health care products and other gifts. “Relax, Refresh, and Remember” is what they hope customers will experience when visiting their store. Psychic readings are available daily and by appointment. The store is located at 151 South 500 East in downtown Salt Lake City.

For more information about Golden Braid Books, click here.

-Brieanna Olds

“Welcoming Salt Lake Week” continues this week until September 25, encouraging Utah residents to support the city’s diverse population. The campaign, supported by Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County and Chamber, brings attention to the cultural, social and economic contributions of new Americans. This year, Salt Lake residents are encouraged to participate in the “7 Days, 7 Ways” challenge by doing volunteer work, attending cultural events and reading and discussing about the experiences of refugees and immigrants.

“The 7 Days, 7 Ways challenge is one way to recognize the values and contributions of our newest residents, and there are many more,” said Fatima Dire, Refugee Community Liaison with the Salt Lake City Office of Diversity and Human Rights. “Our community is well-known for its welcoming spirit and for embracing diversity. It’s a source of community strength.”

“Serve Refugees,” another effort by the Salt Lake City Office of Diversity and Human Rights, is a free smart-phone app, which provides information to users on ways to get involved in refugee assistance. The “Know Your Neighbor” volunteer program is another opportunity supported by Salt Lake City that connects a refugee family to a strong contact in the community. The program has connected over 45 volunteers with refugee families, who help them integrate into the Utah community. The next orientation for “Know Your Neighbor” will be Thursday, October 6 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Salt Lake City and Country Building, Room 306. If interested, send a RSVP to Fatima Dire at fatima.dire@slcgov.com.

Census and resettlement organization data says that over 60,000 refugees now live in Utah, with most residing in Salt Lake County. Each year about 1,100 new refugees seek safety in the state of Utah.

For more information on Salt Lake City Office of Diversity and Human Rights programs click here.

-Brieanna Olds

Park City often seems to be a mountain refuge from much of the world’s ugliness. Over the last few days, that image has been exploded.

A 15-year-old high school student is in stable condition after an overdose in Park City on Wednesday. The incident follows the unexplained deaths of two 13-year-old students from Treasure Mountain Junior High in Park City over the past four days.

Grant Seaver, 13, was reported dead Sunday morning. His friend and classmate Ryan Ainsworth was found dead in his home two days later. Their causes of death remain unknown as officials wait for the results of toxicology reports. Police officials say the 15-year-old may have known the other two overdose victims.

The most recent overdose comes one day after the Park City Police Department and School District released a statement alerting parents to the use of the new drug, U-47700—known on the street as “pink” or “pinky” because users use their pinky finger to inhale the powder. The toxic chemical has become a nationwide problem and has already caused two fatal overdoses in Utah, as well as 30 overdose incidents across the country. Colored white or pink, the powder blocks pain sensations and makes users euphoric, but in higher doses leads to coma and death.

In a statement sent to Salt Lake magazine, the police and school officials asked parents to work with them to protect students:

“We feel the need to jointly urge you to pay close attention to your child’s state of mind. If you feel that they are at risk for any dangerous behaviors, please keep them in your sight at all times.”

The new synthetic opioid is available on the Internet and is unregulated in the United States, though the Drug Enforcement Agency is moving to put it in the same regulation category as heroin and ecstasy.

Officials urged parents to look for the white powder or its liquid form in their children’s belongings, including pens and gum containers and to watch for packages and containers marked “Not for Human Consumption” or “For Research Purposes Only.”

Some doctors also recommend keeping naloxone kits, which often help treat overdoses in emergency situations, as a household item.

“One of the best ways for students to heal after a critical incident is to get back into a normal routine as quickly as possible,” said school officials. “We will have extra support and resources available for any student at any time.”

-Brieanna Olds