Two meetings are to be held in the coming weeks specifically seeking public input on two separate but important subjects tied to Summit County’s future: long-term transportation needs and the proposed Uinta Express Pipeline that will traverse the county.
A joint council meeting with Summit County, Park City and Wasatch County will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 30 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Sheldon Richins Building at 1885 Ute Boulevard at Kimball Junction.
The meeting will include opportunities to give public input on key transportation choices and improvements for the Snyderville Basin area.
Summit County, in conjunction with Park City and Vail Resorts, has embarked on a long-range transportation plan for the Snyderville Basin. The plan will support and coordinate local and regional transportation decisions using the vision established in the Snyderville Basin General Plan, according to Summit County Public Information Officer Julie Booth.
“This is the first time you have ever seen a partnership like this,” said Summit County Manager Bob Jasper.
Jasper said the purpose of the meeting is different from the ongoing Mountain Accord meetings, with the latter focused on regional transportation challenges and solutions throughout the Salt Lake Valley and the Wasatch Back. This transportation meeting will be concerned with alleviating transportation problems in the local Snyderville Basin, he said.
At the meeting, Booth said, the project team will present the plan’s progress to date and encourage feedback on potential transportation needs.
In August, a Short Term Needs Identification was prepared for Summit County about the Snyderville Basin by by the Salt Lake City-based transportation consultants Fehr & Peers. It was the first phase of a transportation study that will eventually be used to update the Snyderville Basin Long-Range Transportation Plan..
In the second meeting, the Park City Area Project for Deeper Understanding will host a panel discussion and public conversation about the proposed Tesoro oil pipeline on Thursday, Sept. 25.
“The purpose of the evening will be primarily educational as well as respectful listening and dialogue,” said Rev. Charles Robinson, rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and chair of the Park City Area Project for Deeper Understanding, in an email to participants. “It will be an opportunity to provide accurate information, correct misunderstandings, educate the public concerning the pros and cons of having an oil pipeline in our county.”
The panel is scheduled to include Summit County Manager Bob Jasper, among others, including a water district representative, an environmental consultant, a pipeline engineer, and the possibility of a representative of Tesoro Refining & Marketing. People in the audience will be encouraged to ask questions.
Tesoro has historically trucked unrefined waxy crude oil from sites in the Uinta Basin to the Salt Lake City refinery. The company is proposing to build a 135-mile-long, heated pipeline, called the Uinta Express Pipeline, to transport about 60,000 barrels of waxy crude per day. It is slated to enter Summit County near Woodland, travel west through Francis, and then turn northward through the Kamas Valley, although alternative alignments are being explored, according to Tesoro.
The meeting will be at St. Luke’s, located on 4595 North Silver Springs Drive in the Snyderville area of the greater Park City metropolitan area. The church is located about two miles south of I-80 off of State Route 224 behind the blue-roofed 7-11 store.
The event will begin at 7 p.m. and be over by 9 p.m.