There was concern months ago the paid-parking system Park City Mountain introduced on the Park City side of the resort this ski season would result in drivers searching for free parking spots in surrounding neighborhoods and then walking to the slopes or taking a bus.
But as the ski industry enters what is normally an especially busy stretch of the winter, there is new evidence of Park City Mountain skiers and snowboarders looking even farther away for free parking.
The Prospector Square Property Owners Association, which manages a collection of commercial properties roughly bounded by Bonanza Drive, Kearns Boulevard, Sidewinder Drive, Gold Dust Lane and Prospector Avenue, has drafted a memo that addresses a range of parking issues.
One of the notable points in the Wednesday memo involves the impact of the Park City Mountain paid parking on the Prospector commercial district.
“Vail/PCMR instituted paid parking this season, just six blocks away,” the memo says, referring to Park City Mountain owner Vail Resorts. “There has been an uptick in skiers being observed parking in Prospector lots and catching the bus.”
The memo also says the paid parking at Park City Mountain has made it more likely people staying in Prospector hotels will use shuttles instead of driving personal vehicles to Park City Mountain in an effort to avoid the parking charge. That has led to additional vehicles being left in the Prospector parking lots during the daytime hours, when those spots would otherwise be available for customers in the business district, the memo describes.
“Anecdotally parking is worse this winter,” it says.
The memo outlines an expectation by the association that Deer Valley Resort will introduce paid parking at the Snow Park base within a three-year window. It appears there is concern Deer Valley skiers would also leave vehicles in Prospector and then take a bus to the slopes under that scenario.
There are 1,100 parking stalls spread through 13 lots in the district. Nearly all of the spots are free, but there are permit requirements and time restrictions in certain locations. The lots under the management of the Prospector Square Property Owners Association serve a variety of businesses, including retailers, restaurants and professional services. There is also residential parking.
In an interview, the executive director of the Prospector Square Property Owners Association, Craig Dennis, said the Park City Mountain skiers and snowboarders started parking in the lots during the early weeks of the ski season.
“They’ve got customers who can’t find a place to park,” he said about the Prospector businesses.
He said parking this winter is exceptionally tight. The association is using up to 10% of the parking stalls for snow storage, he said. The buildings served by the parking lots, meanwhile, are nearly completely leased, meaning there are more commercial tenants than at many previous points, Dennis said.
He said the association monitors vehicles that appear to have been left in the lots without the driver heading into a business. Dennis said at least 20 cars have been towed this winter, topping the up to 15 that were previously towed in a typical ski season. The number this year would have been significantly higher if the association pursued more aggressive enforcement in the lots. The association has an annual budget of $15,000 for parking enforcement. That number could be increased to $50,000 next year, he said.
Dennis said he plans to meet with City Hall officials shortly to discuss parking issues. He also said the association could post additional signs prior to the next ski season delineating the lots as customer parking and prohibiting skier parking.
Other commercial districts have struggled with the issue over the years. Holiday Village has posted signs prohibiting skier parking. Skier parking is also an issue in some Park City neighborhoods, most notably Old Town.