Max Doilney and Ryan Dickey were two members of the Park City Council in 2023 heavily involved in the high-stakes talks with Deer Valley Resort about the future of the Snow Park base and a concept to alter the road network as part of a broader vision for development there.
Their role in the discussions is suddenly noteworthy again in the period after the City Council in December backed a key aspect of the Deer Valley efforts at Snow Park. They were two of the votes in favor of the alteration to the road network as well as in favor of authorizing Mayor Nann Worel to execute a letter of intent between City Hall and Deer Valley outlining a public-private partnership addressing transportation and housing. The two sides will each contribute $15 million as part of the partnership. The agreement calls for the municipal government to vacate parts of Deer Valley Drive West and Deer Valley Drive South, which would remove the sections of roads from the map of public streets as part of the overall traffic circulation design for a development at Snow Park.
Three homeowners associations in January filed a petition in Third District Court challenging the decision by the elected officials. One of the intriguing sections of the homeowners associations’ filing against the municipal government centers on due process and the role played by Doilney and Dickey. Doilney retired from the City Council in early January after he did not seek reelection in 2023, and Dickey in November won his first full term in office after a midterm appointment.
The filing mentions aspects of the agreement such as the reduction of parking spots allowed, the plans for the introduction of paid parking and the inclusion of a transit center. It says the points were negotiated by Doilney and Dickey.
The two “could not approach the final vote on the (right of way) Vacation with the open mind required by law because of their role in the negotiations with” Deer Valley, the filing says.
The homeowners associations “argued that Council members Dickey and Doilney could not be impartial” regarding whether there was good cause and whether others would be materially injured “because they were charged with bargaining with (Deer Valley) for the measures needed to address those statutory elements,” the filing also maintains.
The filing says the homeowners associations requested the two members of the City Council not vote on the vacation of the sections of roads “in light of this clear prejudgment bias.”
“Still, Council members Dickey and Doilney were allowed to vote and, predictably, they voted in favor of the very measures they spent months negotiating,” the filing says.
It also claims the two influenced other members of the City Council to support the agreement.
“On information and belief, Council members Dickey and Doilney made off the record comments in favor of such terms to the other Council members before the vote that influenced those members’ votes in favor of the (right of way) Vacation,” the filing says.
The homeowners associations want a judge to prohibit the municipal government from processing two key development applications and prohibit City Hall from finalizing a public-private partnership with Deer Valley regarding Snow Park. The case also seeks a reversal of a City Council vote regarding the matter.
There are longstanding development rights attached to the land where the parking lots outside Snow Park Lodge are located. Deer Valley must obtain another approval from Park City officials prior to work starting, though. The discussions about the road concept were crucial since the outcome will influence the design of an eventual project.
Dickey declined to comment about the case, citing the ongoing litigation between the homeowners associations and City Hall.
Doilney declined to comment about the case as well, pointing to public statements he made during the earlier talks between City Hall and Deer Valley.
City Hall, meanwhile, said the “lawsuit’s characterization of their role is inaccurate.”
The minutes of the City Council meeting in December when the favorable vote was cast provide a summary of the points made by Doilney and Dickey, including:
• “Council Member Doilney thanked the community for all the public input. He asserted the liaisons did not go into negotiations with a preconceived decision and they only wanted to have a conversation on what it looked like. … He noted as more information was shared with the public, the more support the (right of way) vacation received. The Council needed to represent the majority of the community and he didn’t want to listen to the attempts to kill this plan.”
• Dickey “thought this partnership was a big win for the City. The money would have a big impact on traffic. Parking had been addressed. He was excited for the gondola and a better project area. … He thought there was no reason to wait to vote.” The minutes also show Dickey noted the vacation of the sections of road depended on further municipal processes.